


Against Nature

by foxy11814



Category: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2017-11-23 07:06:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 108,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/619408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxy11814/pseuds/foxy11814
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>King Randor is genuinely pleased when his brother King Stefen visits Eternos after a very long hiatus, but when he starts to notice some changes throughout the palace and with people he loves, especially Adam, he wonders if his brother is to blame.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Brothers Reunited

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously, this story has nothing to do with my other He-Man story "Noticing Adam." I started writing this for a ficathon but decided to keep it for myself and turn it into a longer work than first intended.
> 
> In this story, I've developed a plot with King Randor's brother Stefen, who we met briefly in the 80's episode "Just a Little Lie." We didn't learn much about his characterization in this particular series, so I'm taking liberties as a writer. I'll go ahead and say this story will have several subplots and that King Stefen will be at the center of most of them. I already have the story worked out. I just have to tell it.
> 
> I have no idea if anyone will find this of interest but I hope some will join me for the ride, and don't worry, this story will not distract me from "Noticing Adam." I've just had this on my hard drive for a little while so I decided to publish it and add to it periodically like I do with the former story.

Against Nature

The day began like it always had for the past twenty-three years. She heard the ruffle of several sheets and the sounds of someone scooting to the edge of the bed. She waited for it, knew it would come, and wasn't disappointed when a voice grumbled about ruling the planet yet having to get up so blasted early everyday. Queen Marlena smiled as she turned in bed and stared at her husband's retreating back as he walked into the lavatory to get ready for the day ahead of them. It wasn't a holiday and there were no important speeches to be made, but the day would be busy nonetheless.

As she heard the water start and the slide of the curtain, she mused on the irony of the sounds. Earlier, she thought these were the sounds she had heard for the last twenty-three years, but she quickly realized they were sounds she had heard her entire life. When she was a child, her father would rise from bed, grumble about having to go to work, and jump in the shower to get ready for yet another busy day. Sometimes she couldn't help but smile at the similarities between Earth and Eternia. There weren't many, but during her first few weeks on the planet, she had realized there were enough that she didn't feel completely out of touch with its inhabitants. And, they kept her from missing Earth…too much.

Marlena threw the covers off her body, sat on the edge of her bed, and stretched. She could have slept in—Randor would have let her but she wanted to be with him while he ran through the morning itinerary of everything which was to be done that day. That was something she did almost everyday for the past twenty-three years. The only time this routine hadn't been a part of her life here was when she and Randor had just met and she was not yet the Queen of Eternia. That was so long ago and—if she were truthful—such a short period of time that she could barely remember what her morning routines were like then. Regardless, one thing between now and then was the same: it had always involved Randor eventually. No matter what time she got up or where she went, they always managed to find one another before breakfast. According to Randor at the time, it had always been pure coincidence but she knew better: the king had his eye on her since he had pulled her from the wreckage of the Rainbow Explorer, and the feeling had been mutual, even then despite all the odds.

The queen smiled as she rose from the bed and walked to her wardrobe. Her musings on comparing Earth to Eternia made her laugh as she observed the clothing she had to choose from. There were a few different ensembles for special royal functions, but there were an overwhelming number of green dresses with thick golden embroidered designs that circled the hip area. Clothing was definitely something that had taken her quite a while to get used to on Eternia. Everyone in the palace looked like they wore the same thing day after day, but in reality, they merely had an abundance of the same outfit. She supposed it saved the seamstress a lot of hard work coming up with new and fashionable designs for her royal clientele, but it had made things rather dull sometimes when she first came to the planet, especially when the time for her to conform had arrived. Randor had explained it was one of the ways their subjects would recognize them from afar. "As if that was needed," she thought with a smirk.

Just like it did every morning when she stood in front of her closet, a large brown leather suitcase grabbed her attention. She had been on her way with that bag to Earth's first space station near Jupiter but had somehow managed to bring it to an entirely new planet and solar system instead. She knew what was inside without having to look to refresh her memory: it was every outfit that would make her husband blush and then plead with her not to wear to court. She laughed again as she thought about those early days when she would parade around the courtyard in t-shirts, blue jeans, and a pair of comfortable Nike sneakers. Randor would always take a step back when he finally found her and rake his appreciative eyes across her body as she asked mischievously, "Like my outfit?" Back then, she got away with it because she wasn't the queen and it was the attire of a visitor from another planet. A sigh escaped her lips as she forced her attention away from the suitcase. Randor had never once asked her to put the clothes away entirely and never wear them again; however, it became a necessity when her place in Randor's life had become common knowledge.

"Looking at your suitcase again, my dear?" asked a soft voice from behind her.

Marlena jumped slightly and turned to look at her husband. His sudden presence surprised her since she hadn't heard the water stop or him leave the lavatory. She met his gaze which was one of inquisitiveness and fear—she had never quite convinced him that when she sometimes looked at the suitcase, thoughts of leaving Eternia never crossed her mind. She couldn't really blame him for his apprehension, though. The suitcase had been packed for a day which never arrived, the moment in which she would finally wish to go back to Earth. She knew Randor was still afraid that moment would one day come; however, she couldn't throw her earthly possessions away despite knowing the angst they gave her husband. She would just have to convince him again that no such thoughts were being entertained.

She looked her husband up and down as she walked into his arms and reached a hand into his wet hair to pull his lips to hers. The kiss warmed her like it always did as his arms circled her completely: pleasant shots of heat tingled throughout her body and she found herself leaning against Randor to keep from falling while the kiss lasted for several more enjoyable seconds. When they parted and rested their foreheads against each other's, she answered, "I was merely contemplating what you would say if I wore one of my old outfits to court today." She leaned forward again and caught his lips in another kiss, but this one was soft and brief.

Randor continued to hold Marlena tightly as he peered into her playful eyes. "I don't think that would be a good idea, my queen," he replied softly.

"And, why not?" She really wanted to hear his answer since this was the first time they had spoken on the subject in such a long time.

The king pulled her even closer by pressing their bodies against one another firmly and whispered, "Because I really need to get to court early this morning and those jeans of yours would definitely distract me."

Marlena laughed heartily as her husband leaned forward to kiss her but then seemingly changed his mind. He wiggled his eyebrows at her for a few seconds before releasing her to walk to his closet. She watched as he walked away smugly, thinking he had won this round of flirtation. She would show him! "It would only be payback, you know," she said as she grabbed her typical green dress and then hurriedly unzipped her suitcase to grab a pair of blue jeans. She bundled the clothes up in her hands, hid her green dress, and placed the jeans where they would be seen easily.

She turned to face her husband, making sure he could see what she was carrying when he turned around.

"Why is that?" she heard Randor ask as he pulled one of his blue robes from the closet. At that moment, he turned to look at her and froze.

Marlena smiled, reached up, and started slipping her nightgown from her shoulders slightly. She could tell she had his undivided attention as he watched every bit of arm that was revealed. She then stepped forward as if she were going to walk to him, but she suddenly stopped and answered, "Well, you are the one parading around in only a towel." She paused as she grinned devilishly and added, "It's only fair that I get to walk around in these jeans all day."

"What?" asked Randor quickly. He looked at the bundle she was carrying and saw the article of clothing she was threatening him with. "Marlena!" he gasped and started running towards her.

She only laughed louder as she ran into the lavatory, slammed the door shut, and locked it. Yep, the morning's round was hers!

=)=)=)

King Randor smiled as the door slammed in his face. He tried the knob and found it locked as he had suspected. "Obstinate woman!" he spat jokingly as he walked back to his closet to finish grabbing his clothes. He wondered what his subjects would say if they saw their king and queen play around in such a manner…

Regardless, life was good to him. There was never a boring moment when Marlena was around. Like he so often did, he thanked the blessed day the Rainbow Explorer brought her to Eternia and gave even more reverent thanks for the day she agreed to become his wife and queen. He knew he wouldn't have become the man and king he was today if it hadn't been for her being by his side every step of the way.

The truth was he would have been a shell of a man. At the time Marlena had crashed onto Eternia, he had just ascended to the throne after King Miro's disappearance. The loss of his father had been almost overwhelming, and he had difficulty focusing on the kingdom and even taking care of himself properly. He had been utterly alone in his transition to power. His brothers and sister had left to start their own lives—in their grief and desire to leave Eternos, they had no time to help him with his struggles and pain, so he had grown accustomed to having no family. And, he hated it: he hated that his family had been torn apart by their tragic loss; nevertheless, he tried his best to hide it from his people.

That all changed when Marlena agreed to stay with him at the palace. She gave him a reason to actually want to get up in the morning. They were with each other constantly, and when he had to leave to go to court to listen to the latest problems his citizens were having with each other or other kingdoms, Marlena would go with him. She hadn't been allowed on the throne at the time, of course, but she stayed as close as possible, and she always made herself available to be a neutral sounding board in which he could toss ideas. She helped him so much in those days, and because of that and so many other reasons, he hadn't been able to stop himself from falling in love with her. She had given him his life back and eventually a family he had so desperately wanted and needed. He owed her everything.

His thoughts were disturbed by the sound of the lavatory door opening. Marlena stuck out a jean-clad leg, and he called her name sternly.

His wife merely laughed and stepped into the room. She was wearing her green dress and she let it fall over her pants as she walked over to him.

"You, my dear, are absolutely wicked at times," he said with a grin before leaning down and kissing her again. This time the kiss lasted vastly longer than the others they had shared that morning and left them breathless.

Eventually, Marlena recovered and asked, "You weren't kidding when you implied that these jeans can really affect you, huh?"

Randor kissed her nose lightly and replied, "No, it's just you. I was thinking about the past, when you first came to Eternia and how you stole my heart."

The queen hugged her husband tightly and said, "I hope I still provide you with wonderful moments to think about."

He pulled back a little so he could stare into her eyes. "Everyday," he whispered as he gathered her dress up, reached for her jeans, and unbuttoned them.

=)=)=)

King Stefen stepped into the throne room and gave a cursory glance to all the people present. It had been many years since he had last stepped foot inside Eternos and he was pleased to see that nothing much had changed over the years since he had left. The only thing that seemed to have altered was time…and, of course, that most of his siblings were no longer there except one.

The King of Dyperia stepped beside the guard stationed at the door. As soon as they met each other's gazes, the soldier straightened and interrupted the court by shouting loudly, "Presenting King Stefen of Dyperia to see King Randor."

The room immediately fell into silence as everyone turned to look at the visiting king, everyone except for Randor. "Stefen!" he shouted with great joy. He ran down the steps of the throne and hugged his brother tightly when they met on the floor.

"Randor," said Stefen merrily, "I hope you don't mind the intrusion, but things have been rather quiet in Dyperia, so I thought I would take my brother up on the many invitations he has sent to me over the years to visit."

"And, I'm so glad you have! It's been years since we've seen one another." Randor looked behind him to see who was accompanying his brother. "Where is Prince Dal?"

"He is still in Dyperia with his mother. I thought I needed a little break, so I decided to come alone."

"Indeed," said the King of Eternia. "Well, if it is rest and relaxation you desire, we are more than happy to oblige. I just hope you don't mind the occasional interruption of family visitors."

"Of course not, that's partly why I'm here. It's truly sad that you have seen my son several times, but I have never met yours except in passing during state visits."

King Randor turned to see his wife and son standing together not too far away.

=)=)=)

Prince Adam smiled as he watched his father embrace his uncle. He could only imagine that's how he and his sister Adora looked when they greeted each other after their continuous long separations: surprised yet extremely happy. Every moment they got to see each other was a miracle since he knew Hordak intended for the Royal Family of Eternia to never see Adora again.

And, similarly, he knew a villain had kept his father from his immediate family just like he had been kept from sister: the Enchantress kidnapped King Miro over twenty years ago and despite his young age, Prince Randor had to take over the kingdom. The subsequent reaction, to the kingdom moving on without their father, had torn the siblings apart. They couldn't stand to be in Eternos any longer so they left…aside from his father, that is. But luckily, the Ancients saw fit to change things just like they had with Adora. King Randor got his father back, and it appeared he was finally reuniting with his brother, Stefen.

Adam met his mother's gaze and widened his smile as she came to him to slip her arm around his. They both knew what this meant to the King of Eternia. Adam also knew when his father introduced them and possibly told him of the past, he would have to pretend he was hearing it for the first time. After all, King Randor had never told his son of his unfortunate past aside from King Miro's disappearance. He had never discussed the heartache that developed between him and his siblings. The only reason Adam did know was because his mother saw fit to tell him years ago when his father had been particularly strict and hadn't allowed him to go along with several pages to Dyperia on an overnight excursion. He supposed his father held a little resentment towards his brothers and sister for essentially abandoning him; fortunately, it seemed like his father forgave his uncle.

The king's smile was genuine, and finally, he turned it towards them. "Adam, Marlena, please come meet my brother." They stepped forward and Randor immediately stated with a hearty slap on Adam's back, "Stefen, this is my son Adam. Adam, this is your Uncle Stefen."

"Pleased to meet you," said Adam as he shook his uncle's hand and took note of how different he looked since the last time he saw him—he seemed a lot happier…healthier now that his kingdom was no longer at war. His eyes were not as sunken as they had been, his skin had a darker hue, and lines of distress that had adorned his face then were no longer present. Sadly, he couldn't comment on the positive changes because he saw his uncle as He-Man, not Adam, when he had helped the Dyperians defeat their enemies a little over a year ago. Regardless, he was glad he had helped then, because he was sure the peace in Dyperia made this visit possible.

King Stefen shook his hand firmly and replied, "And, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard so many wonderful things about you from Dal and many people throughout Eternia."

His words surprised the prince. While he might have believed the Dyperian king heard good things from Prince Dal, he wasn't quite so sure about other "people" saying anything positive. Regardless, he accepted his uncle's words without comment and chanced a look at his father. King Randor merely smiled.

King Stefen let go of Adam's hand and immediately grabbed his mother's. "And, who is this young lady, Adam? Are you courting her?"

Adam almost choked at the question. He coughed a couple of times as his mother laughed. "No," he said hurriedly, "she's my mother!"

=)=)=)

Randor straightened his posture proudly and grinned when Stefen questioned who Marlena was. When Adam revealed her true identity, his smile quickly faded as Stefen brought his wife's hand to his lips and kissed it slowly.

"I apologize," said King Stefen, and he continued to hold her hand for an obscene length of time.

Randor stepped closer and wrapped his arm around Marlena which made Stefen take a step back and release her hand. "Stefen, this is my wife and queen, Marlena," he said, scrutinizing his brother for a few moments before he smiled again. He decided that Stefen was just being a stereotypical courtier who would have given any beautiful lady who was before him his lavish attentions.

"Marlena, I am so happy and pleased to meet you," greeted Stefen. "When I had heard that my brother finally intended to marry all those years ago, I knew whomever the young lady was had to be someone very special. I see that I was right."

The queen blushed a little and replied, "Why, thank you, and I'm very happy to meet you as well. I've heard a lot about you. Randor informed me that you and he were quite rowdy in your youth and got into a lot of trouble. I've enjoyed many of those stories over the years."

King Stefen laughed loudly and stepped to Adam's side. "I'm sure it's no worse than the trouble this young man has gotten himself into from time to time," he replied, raising a hand to the prince's shoulder and squeezing gently.

"I'm sure it was a lot worse!" exclaimed the queen with a grin. "My son is very genteel and has never even dreamed of doing some of the things you and Randor have done in the past. It's not in his nature."

Stefen raised his brow in surprise and turned his attention to Adam. "Is this true, young man? That's very uncommon for a prince. Have you not gone into Eternos and…"

Randor immediately squeezed his brother's shoulder to get his attention and interjected, "Because of the time and age we live in with Skeletor out there, Adam has lived a far more sheltered life than you and I have."

"Still, in Dyperia, Dal and his friends…"

Randor interrupted again. "Things are different in Dyperia than it is in Eternos. This is the Capital City, so we attract a lot more attention and trouble than other kingdoms. Besides, like my wife said, Adam is different. He has no desire to go out on the town and cause mischief. Isn't that right, Adam?"

=)=)=)

At his father's sharp glance, the prince immediately agreed, "That's correct, Father."

As Stefen looked at Adam inquisitively, Randor grabbed his brother's attention by stating, "I would like to show you around, Stefen. I know a lot of things look the same on the outside but things really have changed for the better here."

Stefen turned to Randor and said, "Of course. I would like that." He then glanced at Adam and Marlena and asked, "Will you be coming along?"

"No," answered Marlena. "Adam and I will stay in court while Randor shows you around."

With their plans settled, Randor looked at Duncan across the room and said loudly, "Man-at-Arms."

Immediately, Duncan joined his king and King Stefen for their tour.

When they were gone and Marlena started walking back to the throne, Adam ran to her side and asked, "Mother, what was Uncle Stefen referring to earlier? What things have I not done that's so shocking?"

Marlena sighed and said, "Oh, Adam, how can I explain? You see, on Earth there is an old cliché that goes 'Boys will be boys!' What that means on Earth is that typically boys like to go out, get in fights, chase girls, and get into all kinds of mischief in their youth. The adage is fitting even here on Eternia."

Adam nodded as they ascended the steps to the throne and he wondered just what kind of things his father did when he was younger.

=)=)=)

A little after sunset, Adam walked into his bedchambers with Cringer at his feet. He felt exhausted since his mother and he had to take over the court proceedings in his father's absence: first, they had to continue entertaining the courtiers, then they listened to individual problems of the people, and then they met with a couple of visiting diplomats or royalty from other kingdoms. Things were hectic, but he was glad he was able to help so his father could get some one-on-one time with his brother since they hadn't had that in years.

"Ah, Cringer, what a day," said Adam tiredly as he rolled his neck a couple of times to get the kinks out.

"Y-You're telling me. I thought it would never end," replied Cringer with a loud yawn punctuating his sentence.

As Cringer walked to the bed and Adam walked to his closet, they heard a soft knock at the door. "I wonder who that could be," mumbled Adam as Cringer shrugged his front legs.

Adam opened the door and was surprised to see his uncle there. "Uncle Stefen!" he exclaimed. "Is everything all right?" He immediately stepped into the hall and looked around.

"Everything is quite all right," replied Stefen, "but I wanted to talk to you about something. Would you mind if I stepped into your bedchambers so we could discuss it privately?"

"Of course," answered Adam immediately. He stepped aside to let the king in, and as soon as he shut his door, he turned and asked, "Does this have something to do with my father?"

"Not really," said Stefen as he walked to the center of the room and looked around at his surroundings.

"Then what?"

Stefen stood close to Adam and whispered, "What would you say if I told you I wanted you and me to go out into the city tonight and…have some fun?" At Adam's raised brow, he laughed and said, "I know, I know. You think hanging out with your much older uncle wouldn't be a lot of fun, but I can honestly tell you, Adam, that I know this city better than you think and I can let loose every once in a while which is why I came to Eternos. I was going to do this by myself, but when I heard about the bubble my brother keeps you in, I decided I'd offer to take you with me. What do you say?"

Adam scratched his left elbow nervously and answered, "I don't think I should, Uncle. I'm awfully tired and besides…I don't think my parents would approve."

Stefen groaned, went to Adam's bed, and sat down. "I'm not asking you to break the law! I'm just asking you to accompany me to some establishments and see what there is to see in your city. Is that so bad? I'm not asking you to do anything that your own father hasn't done, I assure you."

"It depends," replied Adam softly as he thought about his uncle's words. The offer tempted Adam because he would be able to see what he was missing that his father had experienced when he was younger. And, the fact that his father had done these things in the first place made it that much easier to agree. Not to mention, this was the King of Dyperia asking. It wasn't like he was going to do anything that would cause a scandal, surely.

Stefen stood up, sighed in disappointment, and said, "I'm sorry, Adam. I should have never asked. It's just that I thought about this all afternoon and I thought I would have a companion tonight. That's all right, though. I'll leave you so you can get some rest." The king walked to the door but stopped when he heard Adam say, "Uncle Stefen."

When he turned to face him, the prince said, "Okay, I'll go but…"

"It'll be our secret," whispered Stefen with a grin. He patted Adam on the back firmly and said, "It'll be nice to get away from it all, right? Adam, I promise this will be a night you'll never forget."

Adam looked back at Cringer nervously and the tiger questioned, "A—Adam?"

The prince immediately walked to Cringer, bent down, and whispered, "I don't think I should let him go alone. It's been a long time since he's been in Eternos and I don't want him getting into any trouble. Besides, it might be fun—Father and he have done this before."

"But your father…" started Cringer, but Adam shook his head and he silenced.

"He won't find out."

"I hope not," whispered Cringer as Adam and Stefen walked quietly out of the room.


	2. Sneaking Out

Against Nature Chapter 2

Stefen and Adam walked through the halls quietly and paused every so often to avoid coming face-to-face with members of the guard who were patrolling the grounds. After a few minutes of walking stealthily inside the palace, they made their way to the courtyard and walked along the stone fence that separated the palace grounds from the rest of the city.

"When I was younger, this was the part that always got my adrenaline rushing: trying to escape the palace without detection," shared King Stefen with a grin as he glanced back at his nephew.

Adam looked at their surroundings nervously and whispered, "Yeah, I believe that. My heart is racing." Actually, Adam was surprised at his anxiousness. After all, he snuck out as He-Man all the time, but he had to admit this circumstance was different. At those times, he was usually in a rush to save someone's life and that clearly wasn't the case this time. Also, as He-Man he could simply leave and not care if anyone saw him. Everyone would assume he had been visiting someone—probably Man-at-Arms or Teela—and that he was simply going home or leaving to rescue someone. "Too bad I can't turn into He-Man and meet Uncle Stefen outside," he told himself jokingly, trying to calm himself down.

As they continued to walk along the wall, each man kept his eyes on all the palace openings. Anyone who looked out a window, stepped onto a balcony, or walked out an entrance would surely see them, and neither wanted to deal with the King of Eternia if they were discovered.

Just as they were within twenty feet of the side gate which led into the city, the sound of a door shutting startled the prince. Adam looked behind him to see Teela stepping outside and looking in the opposite direction. Quickly, Adam grabbed his uncle and pushed him to the ground as gently as he could near some bushes.

"Who's that?" questioned the king softly as Adam pointed her out to him.

"Teela," he answered. "She's the Captain of the Guard and my bodyguard."

King Stefen frowned in response and hissed, "Bodyguard? Do you think she knows you're not in your bedchambers? Ancients, they won't even let you breathe around here."

Adam watched as Teela ran her eyes around the courtyard and then started to walk towards them. Hunching lower, Adam replied quietly, "Shh! No, I don't think anyone knows. I believe she's merely checking the grounds before she settles down for the night."

When Teela stood parallel to the bushes they were hiding behind, Adam and Stefen held their breath and didn't move a muscle. They knew the captain, as all soldiers were, was trained to notice anything out of the ordinary in their surroundings. One minuscule sound or movement would undoubtedly grab her attention. When Teela finally turned around and walked back into the palace through a different entrance, the men sighed in relief.

"That was close," Adam said with a smile. Now that they were almost to the gate and had avoided Teela's detection, he was feeling oddly excited.

Stefen chuckled gaily and replied, "We're just lucky you spotted her before she saw us." At Adam's nod, he grabbed the prince's shoulder and said, "Come on, let's get out of here before someone else surprises us!" They got to their feet and proceeded to the gate swiftly.

=)=)=)

Queen Marlena snuggled into bed as soon as she was able to slip on her nightgown. She was tired after a long day of court without Randor. Luckily, she had Adam with her and he had proven to be just as skilled at dealing with people as his father. If he hadn't been, she didn't know what she would have done to settle the disagreement between the kingdoms of Aquatica and Morainia. They were fighting over fish. "Of all things," she thought with a quick roll of her eyes.

At that moment, the king walked into the room and saw his wife's expression. He raised his eyebrows in question and asked, "Do I even want to know?"

Marlena sat up, happy that her husband arrived before she had fallen asleep, and answered, "Probably not, so you're lucky Adam handled it."

"Adam?" questioned Randor, sounding genuinely surprised. "Now, I have to know."

With a sigh, Marlena explained that the people of Morainia had acquired a taste for a certain type of fish that was found primarily above the kingdom of Aquatica. The Aquaticans didn't like that the Morainians were fishing above their city and that they were taking so much of their food source. When questioned how Adam handled it, she explained that Adam had arranged for the Morainians to pay a fee to fish above Aquatica for a short period of time and that they would gather enough fish to begin breeding their own in tanks.

Randor nodded approvingly and said proudly, "That sounds like a great idea. I assume both sides agreed."

Marlena smirked. "Yes, after Adam assured Moraius that he or Man-at-Arms would go to Morainia to help them set up the tanks."

The king sat on the bed, stretched himself out beside his wife, and spoke almost to himself, "That was a heavy piece of legislation to produce, I'm sure. Maybe it's time for Adam to spend more time with me while I pass laws or hear cases. It would be nice to have another person's ideas, not that yours aren't wonderful, my dear." He looked at Marlena and asked, "What do you think? Do you think he's ready?"

The queen shrugged and answered, "I know he's capable—he's proven that. I think it's really a matter of whether you want him to be involved at this point…and if he wants to be, of course."

Randor nodded, scooted down in bed, and laid his head on a pillow as he contemplated giving Adam more responsibility.

Marlena noticed her husband's far away stare. She knew if she let him, he would stay awake all night thinking about it. Shaking her head slowly, she decided to take advantage of his lack of attention—she rolled on top of him and smiled seductively as she watched her husband suddenly peer at her wantonly. "And, what do you think you're doing, getting into my bed with this on?" she asked, pulling on his robe. "Don't you think you should have at least changed into your nightclothes first?"

The king continued to stare at his wife as he ran his hands up her sides and brought them to rest on her shoulders from behind. He pulled her closer to him and replied, "No, I thought I might let you have the pleasure of taking them off."

Marlena kissed her husband gently and then moved her lips to his ear. "You didn't put your brother in any of the surrounding rooms, did you?"

Grinning, Randor answered, "No, I put him in a room beside Adam's." He then winked.

Marlena responded by running her lips and teeth lightly against the king's neck and whispered, "Always thinking ahead, aren't you?" She then pulled back and stared into his eyes as she removed the crown from his head and the medallion from his neck slowly.

When she pulled him up to sit against the pillows and began slipping his robe from his shoulders as he pushed her nightgown from hers, he replied huskily, "That's why I'm king."

=)=)=)

Once Adam and Stefen were outside the gates, they grinned in success and immediately jogged down the first street they could get to so they would be out of sight of the palace.

"So now what?" asked Adam, as he walked beside his uncle and looked around at the dark, lifeless buildings that were already locked and secured tightly for the night.

"We're going to Madelia," he answered as he grabbed Adam by the elbow and pulled him unexpectedly onto another street which would lead them the farthest away from the palace. Ironically, it was also away from the bridge that people had to take when leaving Eternos—they were going farther into the city than Adam was accustomed to going.

As they walked down the street, Adam noticed that the farther away they got from the palace, the more active the city became. At first, he simply noticed that lights were on within certain buildings, but as they continued to walk, people began to fill the streets. Granted, it wasn't as crowded as the streets tended to be during the day, but it was enough that the prince was genuinely surprised at their number. He began to wonder why they were out at such a late hour.

The Prince of Eternia looked at his people and immediately noticed a difference in the type of people he saw during the day. At those times, merchants—dressed in fine, short tunics and matching breeches—lined the street. As for the customers' clothes, they might not have been as expensive as the merchants', but they were of a respectable quality even by royal standards. And, of course, they were modestly made for both sexes…

But as he walked down the street now, he noticed that some citizens wore clothes that were probably ten years old or more. They seemed torn and stained. There were others who wore the clothes of merchants and the typical customers, but the ensembles were unkempt and dirty.

He turned to his uncle to ask why these people were on the streets, when he noticed one of the merchant-looking men stumbling along the gutter. Adam stopped and turned to help the gentleman when his uncle grabbed his shoulder.

King Stefen shook his head at Adam and tilted his head forward once to make Adam look at the man again. The man had stumbled and a bottle had flown from his coat pocket—alcohol.

Adam's expression contorted into a look of sympathy as he sighed and began to walk with his uncle again and look at more of the people they came across. In the distance, he noticed a gathering of people, but he could only tell that they were loitering. As they got closer, he noticed they were mainly women, and unlike the other individuals he had seen earlier, these women were impeccably dressed in soft, colorful fabrics that his own tunics were probably made of. As he continued to stare, he noticed that the women's clothes were tight and showed more cleavage than he was accustomed to seeing.

He glanced at his uncle quickly to ask a question, but once again he was interrupted by the spectacle of a young man around his age walking to the group of women. Adam watched as the man handed one of the women something which she promptly slipped into her cleavage. The woman then waved good-bye to her companions and she walked with the man arm-in-arm down an alley.

Adam's mouth dropped and he couldn't help but point. "Uncle, they're…they're…prostitutes." Adam then realized he was pointing and speedily brought his arm back to his side.

King Stefen looked at his nephew and laughed amusedly. "Is this the first time you've seen one, my boy?"

Adam nodded and replied, "I knew we had them in Eternos, but I never ran across any. Truthfully, I thought I never would. It's not like they would proposition a prince."

His uncle laughed again loudly and through his chuckles managed to say, "Adam…they most certainly would…You, especially…You just haven't been among them like you are now."

Adam looked warily at the women as the king continued, "They would be vying for the position of Royal Mistress, you know."

King Stefen turned down another street and the prince followed. Eventually, the king stopped in front of what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. "Have you been to Madelia before?"

When the prince shook his head, the king cocked his brow and inquired, "But you have heard of it, right?"

When his nephew repeated his gesture, Stefen also shook his head, except he did it to express his disappointment. "Surely young men your own age would talk about Madelia," he countered.

Adam shrugged and whispered, "I don't have many acquaintances that are my age at the palace. Even Teela is a couple of years older."

His uncle looked worried and he replied, "I wonder if they closed it—that is entirely possible." He walked up the steps to the abandoned building and to what seemed to be a boarded door and knocked three times slowly. Afterward, he beat an odd pattern.

Almost immediately, the door opened and a large gentleman dressed in all black stepped out and gestured the king inside. Stefen turned around and motioned for Adam to follow him.

Adam stood frozen in his spot as he gawked into the building from the distance. Different colored lights flashed throughout the opening. He also could hear music unlike anything he had ever heard before, but the beat was loud and constant. It almost shook his entire body from a great distance and he was surprised that the building was so well-insulated that he hadn't heard it before.

It took the prince a few moments to respond to his uncle's words, but he quickly moved up the steps to join him. Just as he was about to pass the threshold into the establishment, the doorman blocked the entrance with his arm and said, "Hey, I know you—you're not old enough to get in here!"

=)=)=)

Queen Marlena laid her head against her husband's chest and ran her fingers slowly across the flesh before her eyes. The king hummed in contentment and pulled her tighter to his side. "Are you tired enough to sleep now, my king?" she questioned.

Randor grinned as he gazed at his wife lovingly. "Almost," he whispered.

Marlena immediately lifted her head, scooted up in bed, and propped herself up on her elbow against a pillow. "Then what else must I do to help you, dear?"

"I can think of a number of things" was the reply, but the king quickly sighed and continued, "But I need to be the good host and make sure my brother is comfortable and settled down for the night before I turn in."

The queen nodded in understanding and watched her husband slip out of bed. He walked to the lavatory and came out wearing his bathrobe. "Think I can make it to his room and back without making a fool of myself in front of anyone?" he asked.

"Perhaps, but even if someone sees you, I highly doubt they would say anything."

"At least not to me."

Marlena nodded and the king shrugged. He walked to the door and opened it, but before he left, he turned back and said with a smile, "I'll be back soon, my love, so until then, think about what else you can do to help me sleep."

Randor stepped into the hall and shut the door quietly. He walked down to the other end of the corridor and knocked on his brother's door. When he received no answer, he pushed it open and turned on the lights.

The room was completely empty.

Randor walked farther into the room and smirked at the crown which had been placed on the nightstand by his bed. "Up to your old antics again, brother," he whispered to himself. He shook his head in half amusement and half annoyance and left the room. He shut the door and started to make his way back to his bedchambers, but he suddenly stopped as he reached Adam's door. A sense of uneasiness overwhelmed him so he softly knocked on his son's door and pushed it open.

Just as he was about to flip on the lights, Randor heard a voice say, "Who-who's there?"

Recognizing the voice and feeling relieved, Randor tried his best to peer into the darkness to the area beside Adam's bed from the doorway. He whispered, "Is everything okay in here?"

"Uh, y-y-yes," the tiger stuttered.

Randor nodded even though Cringer couldn't see it and replied, "Okay, sorry to disturb you two. Get some rest."

As the king shut the door, he heard Adam's most faithful companion say nervously, "Y-you, too."

As the king walked back to his bedchambers, he couldn't help but wish that his son's pet was a little more brave and aggressive like the other tigers on Eternia. If he had been, maybe his son would have been, as well. Regardless, he was glad he hadn't woken his child up—he would have had a hard time explaining why he was concerned and in the prince's room.

=)=)=)

Adam widened his eyes at the man before him. "Uh, I…" he began, but his uncle stepped back to them and spoke hostilely:

"Do you mean to tell me that you are going to stop the Prince of Eternia from entering an establishment on his own land?"

The doorman put his arm down and turned to face Stefen. It was obvious the bouncer was nervous because he looked down at the floor and rubbed his left elbow absentmindedly. "He—he isn't twenty-one. We sell alcohol and the law states…"

Stefen blew out a breath exasperatedly and said, "So let me get this straight. You are going to stop the prince from entering an establishment that by law shouldn't exist because the law also states that he's too young to be in places that sells alcohol?"

At the doorman's startled expression, he continued, "Obviously, the prince is out to have a good time and has no intention of reporting this place to his father and having it shut down. Of course, he might think differently if you stop him from entering."

The doorman turned back to Adam and bowed awkwardly. "Forgive me, my prince. I should have never stopped you in the first place."

Adam swallowed roughly and whispered, "It's okay." After taking a deep breath, he finally entered the building.

King Stefen stared bitterly at the doorman for a moment and said to Adam, "When I was younger, we didn't have a law that people under twenty-one couldn't enter. Where my brother came up with such an idea, I'll never know."

Adam coughed and replied, "On Earth, my mother said it was a law and…"

Immediately startled, the king interrupted, "Oh, you do not have to explain!" He grabbed Adam by the elbow and pulled him forward. "I was just venting!"

While Adam and Stefen walked slowly down a small, narrow hallway to the sounds of music growing louder and louder, Adam yelled so he could be heard, "Why shouldn't this place exist by law?"

As soon as the question left his lips, the hall opened up into a very large room and for the second time that night, his mouth fell open.


	3. A Prince at Madelia

Against Nature Chapter 3

King Randor stared at the ceiling as he lay in bed thinking: he felt confused by the day's events.

His brother, Stefen, was back in Eternos. He never thought he would see the day in which the King of Dyperia would step foot into the Eternian Palace again. But he did. And, not only that, he planned to stay for a little while.

Randor's initial reaction had been pure joy at seeing his brother. Old memories of the two of them sparring against each other and helping one another out with homework—among many other memories—had immediately flashed in his mind's eye, and their old camaraderie had seemingly never ended for a moment. Instantly, he had forgotten about all the years when he hadn't seen Stefen and all the resentment he had carried towards his siblings for their absence in his life.

But as the day had progressed and he had finally settled down for the night, he found the time to finally reflect on everything. He was still happy Stefen was in Eternos, but he felt uneasy and that wasn't a feeling he was accustomed to. What frustrated him was his complete befuddlement as to why he felt that way. He knew when the feeling had become overwhelming, though: the moment he realized his brother was, as Marlena would say, "out on the town," he felt something akin to panic and longing.

He didn't know why he was panicking, but he knew what he longed for: he longed for the days when he was just a prince and didn't have as many responsibilities. Without telling their father, Stefen and he used to explore Eternos and find every way in which they could get into trouble…if they had ever been caught, which gratefully had never occurred. Some of those moments were the best in his life but others had been the worst.

He was grateful Adam had never been exposed to those things despite the fact that it had been a fun ride, or at least he had thought so at the time.

Randor looked at the chronometer on the wall to see that it was past midnight and wondered when his brother would return to the palace.

=)=)=)

The room was about the size of the palace's throne room and it was filled with people. The young prince hardly knew where to settle his attention: directly before him in the center of the establishment was a large dance floor where couples, and sometimes three and foursomes, were mingling and rubbing against each other in various brazen ways which would have never been tolerated at any royal ball. Did they even consider their actions dancing? Off the dance floor, there were numerous tables set about the room. Groups of people sat at each of them: some were eating, some were drinking, and some were…involved in other activities.

Adam averted his eyes as he witnessed a man run his hand up a lady's leg as they turned towards one another and kissed deeply. Because the prince had turned in another direction, he saw that in one of the corners of the room, a man had placed himself behind a table and before him were various pills and other items Adam had never seen before.

Forgetting his etiquette, he tapped his uncle on the arm persistently with his index finger and said, "Uncle? Uncle?"

The king turned around and chuckled at his nephew. "Yes?"

Adam continued to tap for a moment until he realized what he was doing as he met Stefen's gaze. "Oh!" he gasped and then fumbled for what he had been meaning to ask. Finally, he motioned with his head towards the man he had been observing and asked, "What's that guy in the corner doing?"

Stefen looked in that direction and then turned back to Adam slowly. The king bit his lip lightly as he undoubtedly pondered what to say. "He is selling merchandise," he finally answered.

It was on the tip of Adam's tongue to ask what he was selling when his uncle continued, "I want you to promise me something, Adam. I want you to promise that you'll stay away from that table and you won't accept any of those items from anyone. Promise me."

Right away, Adam knew what the items were—contraband. That's why his uncle said the place shouldn't exist by law. It was one of the places to buy from the elusive black market. "I promise," he replied without hesitation.

"Good," said Stefen as he patted Adam on the back lightly. "Let's go to the bar and order a few drinks, shall we?" At his nephew's nod, he led Adam around the dance floor to a few empty stools in the back of the room. Adam watched as his uncle waved at the bartender and held up two fingers. Within no time, goblets were placed before them.

Adam turned on his barstool to face the dance floor and absentmindedly grabbed his drink and poured a large amount of its contents into his mouth.

Almost instantly, Adam spit the liquid across a few tables and onto several people. As the individuals cried out in protest, the prince coughed and sputtered, "By the grace of Eternia!"

"Ancients!" exclaimed Stefen, and he started to pound Adam on the back as he watched his nephew's pearl-like skin turn a deep shade of red, tears pour from his eyes, and coughs shake his entire body. "Are you all right?"

After a few moments, Adam caught his breath and wheezed out, "Yes…what is this stuff?"

Now that he knew Adam was all right, he smiled and chortled a little. "It's called the Madelia Special. I suppose I should have warned you how strong it was."

Adam turned back to face the bar, set the goblet down, and pushed the drink away from him. He glanced at his uncle and whispered, "You should have warned me what it was."

=)=)=)

Stefen patted his nephew on the back comfortingly and said, "You're right. I suppose I should have told you, but I honestly thought you knew it wouldn't be juice in an establishment like this." The king waved his arm to gesture to everything going on around them.

Adam smiled in spite of himself and agreed, "I suppose you're right. I wasn't thinking."

Stefen sighed and replied, "No, I wasn't. I should have known you wouldn't automatically assume it was an alcoholic drink considering how my brother has sheltered you."

"Is that such a bad thing?"

Their eyes met and Stefen answered, "No, not really, I suppose. You obviously turned out quite well. But I don't think it did you much good either. You're to be king one day, so you need to be exposed to these things. You don't want to be too out of touch with your people, in my opinion."

"That is certainly true, but I don't consider myself out of touch. I just don't do certain activities that others might," said Adam with a shrug. He turned on his barstool and faced the crowd again. "At the palace, you said you wouldn't ask me to do anything illegal, but isn't our mere presence at this place illegal?"

Stefen frowned and shook his head slightly. "I never thought about it that way, but yes, I suppose it is. Do you want to leave?"

"No, I'm fine. I am curious, though."

"About what?"

"You threatened the doorman that I might tell my father about Madelia if he didn't let me in. I thought he would already be aware of this place. I mean, you and he did come here when you were younger, right?"

Stefen sighed and said, "Every man has his secrets, Adam. While your father and I enjoyed each other's company and roamed the streets of Eternos together, I didn't take him with me everywhere I went. After all, your father was still the eldest brother and in line for the throne. I couldn't risk my favorite hangout spot back then. Randor was more of a stickler for the rules than the rest of us despite our rambunctiousness."

Adam faced his uncle and said, "Tell me what Father was like when you were younger. What do you mean by rambunctious?"

Stefen laughed and grinned as he thought about the past. "What can I say about Randor? He was…rebellious to a certain extent. Father expected more out of him than the rest of us. He was to be King of Eternia, after all. While we were all expected to act accordingly to our rank, Randor had to be perfect. He was expected to speak properly, have correct posture at all times, not make a spectacle of himself…you get the point. I'm sure Randor expects many of the same things from you."

Adam nodded. "He rarely gets compliance, though," he said sadly.

Stefen looked at his nephew curiously and responded, "I was led to believe you followed your father's every whim. It certainly seems that way."

Adam sighed and explained, "I don't outright defy him, but I'm clumsy and I'm late all the time. I sometimes do embarrassing things that cause others to laugh. Father isn't too pleased with my occasional tomfoolery."

"Next time he gets on to you, ask him if he always acted like the perfect statesman when he was your age. See what he says to that." King Stefen grinned mischievously.

Adam smiled a little and replied, "I certainly can't do that. I won't embarrass Father more than I already do." After a pause, he continued, "So, tell me specifics. What was he like?"

Stefen had a faraway look in his eye as he said, "Randor tried to do everything that was expected of him when he was in court or in Father's presence. He seemed like the ideal prince."

"But he wasn't?"

Stefen looked at Adam and said, "Oh, he was. But he also liked to live a little. After we were through with our royal duties each day, Randor and I would always get together to talk about what we had done and sometimes we went out into the city, looking for what we called 'an adventure.'"

Adam flashed a toothy grin, poised himself playfully with one hand extended outward and the other over his heart as if he were to give a heartfelt speech, and stated, "'…we're going to live! [...] We're going to have a good meal; and we're going to be in danger; and we're going to be almost arrested; and we're going to spend all our money!'"

"What?" asked Stefen amusedly.

Adam laughed and said, "It's a quote from one of my mother's books from Earth. It's a play called The Matchmaker by a Thorton Wilder. It's all about 'adventure,' according to one of the main characters in the play."

"I see. Well, your quote is quite fitting, actually. It accurately describes what Randor and I had in mind during our excursions."

"And, did you do those things?"

"And, so much more."

At Adam's astonished look, he added quickly, "We never got arrested, but we would have if we had hung around a while. Randor had a knack for getting into fights."

=)=)=)

Adam thought back to his father's words when he—as He-Man—had rescued the king from Snake Mountain after Beastman had kidnapped him a few years ago. He had said, "Nice to know I still have the old left hook." That certainly made his uncle's words believable.

"What did he get into fights about?" he asked inquisitively.

Stefen laughed loudly for what seemed like the hundredth time that night and Adam smiled in response. His uncle did seem to enjoy life. "Oh, what didn't he get into fights about!" exclaimed the Dyperian king. "Sometimes, we got drunk and had alcohol-induced altercations. Sometimes, Randor felt as though his honor had been besmirched after something some poor fool had said or done. Other times he had defended a lady in distress. There are too many instances to name them all."

Adam looked back at the dance floor and replied, "It seems like you knew an entirely different guy."

"No," said Stefen, who squeezed Adam's shoulder. "You know the same guy I do. It's just that he's king so he had to grow up and calm down. I did the same."

Adam looked around the room before settling his eyes on him. "But you're a king and still here…he's not. Father wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this now."

Stefen sighed and whispered, "That's probably true—he is the better man, after all."

At Adam's questioning look, he continued, "Your father is a good man, Adam. He may have had his moments where he wasn't at his finest as a boy, but that's true for everyone. Besides, he has so many things that changed him for the better. He has Marlena, Eternos, the High Kingship, you…"

"And, you have Dal, Aunt Liana, and Dyperia. I think you haven't done so badly for yourself, either."

Stefen pressed his lips together for a second and then replied, "Appearances are deceiving, Adam. Even though Randor and I were raised together and we seem to have similar lives, there are some very big differences." At that moment, a woman around Stefen's age approached his uncle and whispered in his ear. At that, the king grinned, nodded, and then turned to Adam. "Why don't we separate for a little while?" he suggested while laying money on the bar. "You can mingle with the younger crowd while I take advantage of this young lady's company."

Before Adam could reply, his uncle stood and retreated with the lady through the crowd. Eventually, Adam lost sight of them and he fidgeted at his sudden abandonment. Adam turned back to the bar and picked up his drink. He brought it to his nose and sniffed it cautiously. Even the smell was strong—it burned his nostrils. He didn't know how people could like the stuff.

Sudden laughter to the right of him grabbed his attention. He looked over and saw several men being escorted onto the dance floor by women who had suddenly appeared at their sides. After seeing this happen a few more times, Adam realized he might be in a pick-up area and decided to move.

He left the bar and tried to figure out where to go. He knew he should probably find his uncle so they could head back to the palace, but he also knew his uncle wouldn't be too happy about it. After all, this was his outing and he had just brought Adam along for the ride. He briefly considered simply leaving without his uncle, but he knew that might upset King Stefen. His uncle also might think something happened to him which would cause all kinds of problems, so he decided to stay for a little while longer. As Adam walked through the crowd, he noticed stairs to the left of the room. He followed the staircase with his eyes and immediately noticed that when facing the entrance, he could see a second floor which looked down over the dance floor. There was an empty table up there.

Determinedly, Adam made his way through the crowd to the stairs and eventually settled at the table he had seen. Sighing in relief, Adam glanced down at the bottom floor and looked around for his uncle. After several moments of looking and not finding him, Adam was interrupted by a young woman's voice.

"Excuse me, all the tables are taken. Can my friends and I join you?"

"Sure," Adam replied before turning his head to look at them. When he finally did look at the woman, she immediately gasped. "Are you all right?" he questioned.

The lady looked to be in her early twenties. She had long red hair and was dressed in a dark green dress that flowed slightly outward from a brown belt at her waist. As Adam took note of the few small freckles that sprinkled her nose, she exclaimed, "You're Prince Adam, aren't you?"

Not sure if he should reveal his identity, he said, "I get that all the time."

"Because you are him, right?" she insisted. She looked to her companions and said, "He is Prince Adam, isn't he?"

Adam looked at her friends and smiled in greeting. Her friends were male and all were dressed in white tunics and brown pants. One had red hair, which was the same shade as the female's, and the other two had brown hair.

The redhead male said, "I think he is. Don't you think so, Rob?"

While the other two nodded in agreement, Adam stood nervously and said softly, "Uh, I really need to be going. It was a pleasure to meet all of you."

Just as he was about to walk away, the lady reached out, grabbed him, and said, "Well, we haven't really met, yet. You haven't confirmed your identity and you haven't found out who we are. If you really are the prince, I think you should have better manners than that."

Adam widened his eyes, startled.

At Adam's look, everyone at the table laughed jovially. "Oh, I'm just kidding!" the woman said, as she pushed Adam back into his seat lightly. "My name's Ashlyn, this is my brother Daniel, and those two clowns are Phil and Rob."

"Hi," the men said simultaneously.

Adam swallowed roughly and nodded at them. "Hi," he replied and then closed his eyes briefly, deciding to bite the bullet. When he looked at them again, he stated, "And, yes, I am Prince Adam."

Immediately, the girl pushed on her brother and squealed, "See, I knew he was Prince Adam!"

"And, I agreed with you! Ancients, Ash! You almost threw me right in the floor!" complained Daniel.

"And, I would have laughed!" said Ashlyn with a smile as she settled into her seat next to the prince.

Adam tried to conceal a smile from the table's new occupants, but the attempt was futile because Ashlyn grabbed his arm, pulled it down, and said, "Look, I amused the prince!"

At that, he laughed and said, "Please, just Adam."

"Okay, Just Adam," she said with a wink. "So, tell us, what in the world are you doing in Madelia? We certainly haven't seen you in here before."

It was on the tip of his tongue to answer her truthfully, but he didn't know if his uncle would like him discussing who he was and what he was doing with strangers, so he bit his cheek lightly before responding, "I came with a friend. He knew about the place and wanted to show me around."

"And, what do you think?" asked Daniel, waving his arm across the railing toward the dance floor.

"Well, it certainly is…interesting," answered Adam.

"Is this the first time you've been to a place like this?" Rob questioned curiously.

Despite feeling a little embarrassed, Adam nodded.

"Well, we're honored that you decided to visit while we were here," added Ashlyn. "My parents are never going to believe we met the Prince of Eternia and at Madelia's, of all places."

Adam rubbed at his neck and said softly, "Maybe you shouldn't tell your parents where you met me."

Ashlyn glanced at the others at the table with a grin and exclaimed, "Why, Prince Adam! Are you not supposed to be here?" She immediately started to giggle.

Adam nodded and said, "Obviously. I don't want my parents to find out. I don't want my…friend to get in trouble."

"And, you don't want to be in trouble, either, no doubt," added Phil, knowingly, with a smirk.

"Obviously," repeated Adam, not sure how to interpret Phil's look or comment.

"Okay, okay," said Ashlyn, waving her hands together in front of her. "We won't tell them where we saw you, but only if you join us for a drink."

Prince Adam grimaced and said, "I don't particularly care for the special here. It's too strong for my liking."

"Oh, I don't like that nasty drink, either." Ashlyn waved down one of the few waitresses who were circling the second floor. When the waitress came to the table, she said, "Five of the usual."

As the waitress walked away, Rob pulled something that looked like a cigar but smaller from his pocket. "How about everyone join me for a smoke?" Immediately, Rob lit it, puffed at it a little, and passed it to Phil.

Adam watched curiously as Phil inhaled and then exhaled before passing it to Daniel. When the cigar finally got to Ashlyn, Adam noticed it looked like one of the items the man had been selling below. After Ashlyn had taken several puffs, she waved the cigar under Adam's nose and asked, "Want to try?"

Immediately, Adam coughed and pushed himself and his chair away from it. It had a pungent smell, and it was very strong…stronger than the smell from the house special had been. "No, thanks," he gasped, trying to get fresh air into his lungs and remembering that he promised his uncle not to accept anything from the table below, not that he would have taken it anyway.

"Are you sure?" questioned Ashlyn but relented when she saw the firm look Adam settled on her.

"Okay, sorry," she said as she blew out more smoke and handed it back to her brother.

For what seemed like an hour or so, Adam stayed at the table with Ashlyn, Daniel, Rob, and Phil. The four talked about their usual outings to Madelia and about their everyday lives as they continued to smoke. Adam mainly listened, laughed at their stories, and drank a little of the wine they had offered him.

When the discussion finally turned to Adam and Ashlyn asked the prince what he did for fun, a firm hand grabbed Adam by the shoulder and said, "Sorry to interrupt, but Adam and I need to get home."

Adam turned and looked up at his uncle. "Oh, hey!" he said with a smile. Immediately, the prince rose and waved to his new friends. Stefen immediately noticed the boy looked kind of wobbly on his feet. "It was nice meeting all of you," the prince continued and stumbled back a little.

Stefen steadied Adam and mumbled incoherently to himself worriedly.

"Bye, Adam!" the obviously intoxicated youths yelled simultaneously. The men in the group fell into laughter. Ashlyn, however, stood, hugged Adam, and whispered, "I hope I see you around sometime."

The prince was about to respond when Stefen pulled on Adam's arm and said, "It's almost daylight, son. We need to get back to the palace!"

Stefen's words seemed to break through Adam's stupor. "Almost daylight!" shouted Adam, anxiously. He looked back at Ashlyn and said, "I have to go. I'll see you sometime."

Before Ashlyn could comprehend what Adam said, the prince and his uncle ran through Madelia and were gone.

=)=)=)

On the streets of Eternos, Stefen wrapped his arm around Adam's waist and said snappishly, "I thought I told you to stay away from those items from the table!"

"What?" questioned Adam, pulling away from his uncle as he noticed the annoyance in his voice. "I did."

"Then why are you stumbling? And, why are your eyes so red?"

"They are?" Adam stopped at a window to see if he could see his reflection.

Stefen pulled Adam along and said loudly, "Come on! We don't have time! We have to get you back to the palace before Randor realizes we were gone all night."

Adam allowed his uncle to lead him through the streets. When the palace came into view, the prince looked at his uncle, who seemed to be chewing the inside of his cheek. "I didn't take any of those items from the table," he insisted. "I only had a few glasses of wine."

Stefen scrutinized Adam for a second before he stuck his nose to the prince's clothes and asked, "But they were smoking something, right?"

"Yeah, they were," snapped Adam, "but I didn't." Adam almost fell as he ended his statement, but Stefen pulled him back up.

"I believe you, Adam, but I think you got the effects from what they were smoking anyway. You're high…and maybe even drunk. If your parents find out, they're going to kill us."

A few minutes later, Adam and Stefen stepped into the courtyard and both wondered how they were going to get back to their bedchambers undetected. Stefen knew they both needed a shower and a nap before they faced Randor or Marlena, preferably in that order. As they slipped inside the palace, Stefen noticed their first obstacle: Man-at-Arms heading their way.


	4. Placing Blame

Against Nature Chapter 4

For over twenty years, Duncan walked the corridors of the palace before the Royal Family woke up every morning. He felt as if it were his duty as Randor's man-at-arms to make sure the monarchs were safe each and every morning when they arose. As he walked down each hall, he observed the typical routines of the maids and guards. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Everyone was preparing for the moment in which the king, queen, and prince would make their appearances.

As Duncan was about to turn down the last corridor which led to the courtyard, he smiled at Teela, who suddenly walked out of the nearby conference room with several officers. "Everything going well this morning?" he asked.

It was his standard morning question and he received the standard answer: "Like clockwork, Father. Micah is preparing to take the morning's itinerary to the king now."

"Is there anything new on the agenda?"

"Not really," she answered as she propped herself against a nearby wall. "I think the king might even have some spare time today. He'll probably want to spend it with King Stefen."

Duncan nodded. He had no doubt that was true. King Randor had been truly happy when his brother had shown up yesterday. Man-at-Arms hadn't seen him that joyous in a very long time: since Adam brought Adora home from Etheria for the first time, in fact. Of course, nothing could compare to the latter event, brother or not.

"Well, I'm going to finish my rounds," he said as he turned around to walk down the last corridor. "I'll see you in the dining room for breakfast within the hour."

Teela watched her father's retreat and replied, "Okay, see you then!"

=)=)=)

King Stefen sighed in frustration as Man-at-Arms stepped around the corner and started to head their way. There was no way to avoid him—the soldier had already seen them. "Try to act naturally," he whispered to his nephew.

Adam straightened his posture and glanced at his uncle worriedly. "How can anyone act naturally if it's unconscious behavior?" he asked himself silently. He lifted his head high in what he hoped was his usual posture and tried to take a step forward, but Stefen grabbed his arm.

"Maybe we shouldn't walk until he leaves. If he sees you wobble, he's going to know something's wrong," he explained.

Adam nodded and then turned to smile at Man-at-Arms as he got closer, but the prince quickly remembered his uncle telling him his eyes were red when they left Madelia. He immediately dropped his gaze and stared at his shoes.

"King Stefen, Adam," greeted Duncan as he finally reached them. "Good morning. What are you two doing up so early?"

Stefen glanced at Adam and when he saw no response coming from him, he answered, "Adam offered to show me the grounds this morning. You and Randor showed me everything inside the palace yesterday, so he was kind enough to show me the exterior."

Duncan smiled at the prince and said, "That was a good idea, Adam. Well, what did you think, Your Majesty?"

Stefen forced himself to smile and said, "It was…quite nice. It was very much how I remembered it."

Duncan nodded and said, "I know you must have a different opinion of the Royal Museum. Undoubtedly, Adam took the time to take you there since it's one of his favorite places to show visitors."

Stefen glanced at Adam and said nervously, "Uh, yes, he did."

When Man-at-Arms started to say something else, the king hurriedly stated, "Everything was quite interesting. Um, Adam and I are on our way to our bedchambers to get ready for breakfast. Won't that be soon?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," answered Duncan with a nod.

Stefen also nodded and said, "Uh, well, yes. Thank you. You're dismissed."

=)=)=)

Duncan raised his brow questioningly at King Stefen as the monarch dismissed him hurriedly. He knew he was just a man-at-arms for his brother and the visiting king had every right to dismiss him, but he could suddenly tell that the King of Dyperia was very uncomfortable talking to him. He hadn't felt that way yesterday. So, what was different now?

Man-at-Arms turned his head and settled his eyes on Prince Adam. Something was definitely wrong. Adam was looking down at the floor and almost seemed to be avoiding him. He realized the boy hadn't said one word to him throughout the entire conversation. That was very odd.

"Adam," he said to get the prince's attention. "I need to speak with you about something rather urgent. Can you walk with me outside for a moment?"

Adam turned in the direction of Man-at-Arms with his head still down, but before he could take a step forward, King Stefen rested a hand on the prince's shoulder and said, "Adam agreed to help me this morning with a…a surprise for his father. We really need to…get it ready, so he can speak with you at another time."

Duncan continued to stare at Adam and knew in his bones that Stefen wasn't telling the truth. "It will only take a moment," insisted Duncan. He stepped forward and rested his hand on Adam's arm. "Let's go, son." He dipped his head under the prince's to meet his eyes with his. When he did, he saw the red glossiness that surround Adam's pupils and immediately became alarmed. "What's this?" he exclaimed. "What's wrong, Adam? Are you not feeling well?"

Adam raised his eyes and looked over at his uncle who shook his head adamantly. Despite the king's silent protest, when he turned back to Man-at-Arms, he whispered, "Please don't tell my mother and father."

At that moment, Duncan settled a piercing glare on King Stefen. Without even hearing what Adam had to say, he already knew he wasn't going to like it and that the King of Dyperia was to blame.

=)=)=)

King Randor stepped outside his bedchambers with Queen Marlena beside him. Almost immediately, Micah, Teela's lieutenant, stepped in front of him and handed him a list of the day's activities.

Randor ran his eyes down the list and smiled at Marlena. "Today's going to be rather light compared to most," he shared.

Marlena grinned back and asked playfully, "And, what will my king wish to do with his extra time?"

The king raised an eyebrow and said, "Well, we could always come back here." His smile widened into a grin. He glanced at Micah briefly and as the lieutenant took the hint and walked away quietly, he whispered, "You know, to read a book or something."

Laughter filled the hall as Marlena noticed Randor's expression: it was one of hopefulness and devilishness simultaneously. He pulled off the paradox nicely: his eyes looked innocent as he stared at her intently, but his mouth smirked at her almost cockishly. And, even though she was almost persuaded by that look to agree, she knew she had to be the voice of reason at times like this. "And, what about your brother?" she questioned. "We cannot forget about him." She paused for a moment and then stated, "Of course, I'm sure Adam wouldn't mind playing host for a while. I'm sure Stefen and he could find their amusement somewhere in Eternos."

As soon as the words left Marlena's lips, the king's good mood dissolved to nothing. He frowned and whispered, "I don't even want to think about that happening." At Marlena's astonished look, he continued, "I know he's my brother and I love him, but I don't want him influencing Adam. He did enough influencing when we were kids."

Marlena took her husband's arm and started walking with him toward the dining room so they could have breakfast. "What ever do you mean?" she questioned. "I always thought you enjoyed your brother's mischievousness. In all of the stories you've told me of the past, you were just as much a participant as Stefen."

King Randor nodded and said, "Yes, I was. I cannot deny that, but let's just say without Stefen, I wouldn't have gotten into those situations in the first place."

Marlena stopped walking but still held on to his arm. Because of this action, Randor swung in front of Marlena so he could face her. She looked up at her husband's face as she contemplated his words. "I'm sure Stefen didn't hold you hostage and force you to ramble the city with him. I think it's a little unfair to blame your brother for all your mishaps as a child."

"I never said I blamed him for everything. I'm just saying Stefen has a way of influencing people. His social ideas always seem innocent at first, but once you get into the midst of whatever he wants to do, you find yourself in situations you wouldn't have put yourself into in the first place. There are a number of things I've done in the past that would never have happened if he hadn't contributed to the situation."

Marlena walked beside her husband, pulled on his arm, and resumed walking to the dining room. As they walked and nodded at passing maids and guards, the queen continued their conversation: "What you must remember, Randor, is that you're talking about a time when you and he were very young. You both are grown men now with kingdoms to run and many other responsibilities. I think it's safe to say that your brother has matured just like you have."

The king thought about his wife's words fleetingly and muttered, "I don't know, Marlena." He glanced at his wife and asked, "And, why are you championing him, anyway?"

"I'm not," she answered immediately, just as they were about to turn the corner onto another corridor. She stopped, faced her husband again, and said confidently, "I just don't want this sudden idea and resentment of things past to stand in the way of your reconciliation with your brother. I know you, Randor. If you get it in your head that he's going to be a bad influence to Adam or some other crazy thing, you're going to do your best to get your brother back in Dyperia as quickly as possible. And, while I would agree with that decision if he did something that deserved such actions, he hasn't done it yet."

The king huffed and said, "He wasn't in his room when I went to check on him last night."

"Oh, really?"

Randor nodded in a manner which almost screamed, "I told you so!" Instead of saying those words, he answered, "Yes, and upon inspection, I noticed he left his crown on the nightstand. Undoubtedly, he went into Eternos last night and didn't want the people to know they had a royal among them. That's how he and I got into a lot of trouble in our youth, the exact same way."

Marlena sighed and said, "He has every right to see the city in whatever manner he chooses since he's on vacation. He's not hurting anyone by going out at night and he's certainly not influencing you now. He didn't even ask you to tag along. I genuinely believe you're worrying over nothing. Besides, I thought you were happy that your brother came to see you."

"I am," the King of Eternia said insistently; "I'm very happy to see him, but I just have this feeling that I can't shake. Last night, the feeling was almost overwhelming and I can't help but think about it today. For example, I find it odd that neither his son nor his wife accompanied him here. If I were going on vacation, I wouldn't leave you and Adam. I think there's a lot more there than my brother has shared."

Seeing that her husband was fretting over the situation, she stood on her toes and kissed him lightly on the cheek to attempt to calm him. "There might be," she replied, "but we need to leave it alone until he does something that affects us. Until then, treat your brother amicably and rebuild your relationship. We won't make Adam play host today. We'll do that job if it makes you feel better," she acquiesced.

The king nodded and mumbled, "Yes, it would."

=)=)=)

Duncan tore his eyes from the King of Dyperia and tried to calm himself down by taking several deep breaths. Despite his efforts to relax, he was finding it difficult. Adam looked horrible and he knew that whatever the young prince had to say, it wouldn't be good.

"What's going on, Adam?" asked Man-at-Arms as he glared once more at King Stefen.

Adam noticed the hostile looks his mentor was giving his uncle, so he quickly touched his shoulder and said, "It's not his fault. It was just a stupid mistake."

Duncan turned and stared at the prince. "What was?"

He shrugged and as a result, he began to wobble a little. Immediately, Man-at-Arms reached out and steadied the prince by grabbing his shoulders. "What happened?" he continued.

Adam sighed and said, "I met some people last night that were smoking. I should have known better, but I stayed and talked to them while they were doing it. I guess I breathed in whatever it was…at least that's what Uncle Stefen thinks."

Man-at-Arms once again glowered at the king, then stepped closer to the prince and smelled him. He recognized the smell instantly and even smelled a little alcohol. He stepped back and whispered, "And tell me where you were when you met these people."

Adam took a deep breath and swallowed nervously. "I'd rather not say."

Duncan closed his eyes briefly and started to grind his teeth together. Never in a million years did he think he'd ever have to handle anything like this with Adam. He looked back at Stefen and narrowed his eyes. No matter what the boy said, he knew King Stefen was responsible. He looked back at the prince and said, "You need to tell me, Adam, or I'll be forced to tell your father everything. Then, he'll force you to tell us."

Adam widened his eyes and tears almost seemed to flood them.

That alone shocked Man-at-Arms.

"Madelia," Adam whispered. He sounded as though he was in pain and as soon as he finished speaking, he bent over with his hands on his knees and started breathing deeply.

"Adam?" questioned Stefen and Duncan.

The prince couldn't respond as he continued to breathe. Without warning, he suddenly grabbed his stomach, stumbled, and fell to his knees. As soon as his knees hit the floor, Adam threw liquid up all over the floor and himself.

"What on Eternia?" gasped Man-at-Arms as he immediately bent to Adam's side. He tried to get the boy to lean back up but he stayed in the same position and started to throw up again.

At that moment, the group heard the sounds of loud footsteps shooting down the corridor.

Man-at-Arms briefly looked up to see who was heading their way and immediately Stefen cringed: it was the king and queen.


	5. The Reluctant Savior

Against Nature Chapter 5

Man-at-Arms knew he had to make a decision and make it quickly. King Randor and Queen Marlena were heading their way, and he knew they would want to know the source of Adam's malady immediately. He had an obligation to his sire to tell him the truth—when he had joined the Royal Guard all those years ago, he had pledged an oath of allegiance to the king that was to be held above all else. It was his duty to inform the king of anything that could hurt the kingdom or affect the Royal Family. But of course, he broke that pledge almost everyday for the very person he had his arm around now: Prince Adam.

He missed the days when decisions were easy. Before he had become privy to the secrets of Castle Grayskull, he had performed his duty to the letter. He told his king everything with no hesitation. It hadn't even required thought. Now, it seemed like he had to question everything he told him. The truth was he no longer had an obligation to just King Randor. He had an obligation to Prince Adam and Castle Grayskull, as well, and he always found himself questioning which allegiance held the higher standing. Unfortunately for King Randor, he hadn't faired well in comparison…even now.

He knew if King Randor knew the true source of Adam's sickness, he would be furious…and there was no telling what the monarch would do. As a father, he could take a guess. In fact, he knew from experience: when Teela had first joined the guard, after a month of intense training with the other new recruits, she had gone out into Eternos with her comrades to have a good time on their first free night. She had done this without his permission, and when she had arrived home the following morning, she had been very intoxicated. His response had been immediate. He reprimanded her officially and as a father. He grounded her, much to Teela's embarrassment. She hadn't been allowed to go anywhere or do anything except train, and he had always been present at those times. She had learned her lesson quickly and never came home drunk again, and he was sure Adam would learn his lesson quickly if Randor did the same…

But could Eternia afford it? Could Eternia survive having its champion chained to the Royal Palace under the intense watch of the king? He didn't think so. Besides, he couldn't imagine making it harder for Adam to disappear to turn into He-Man. Not to mention, Randor would be disappointed in Adam again. He didn't want to put the young prince through that.

So, when the King and Queen of Eternia ran down the corridor toward them, he immediately stuck his hand up to motion for them to stop. He didn't want them close enough to possibly smell the reason for the prince's illness. When they continued to come despite his motions and were within three feet of them, Duncan said calmly, "Your Majesties, please don't come any closer. I'm afraid Adam is ill and I'm not sure if it's contagious. We surely wouldn't want to risk the queen's health if it's related to his physiology."

=)=)=)

King Randor knew there had to be a good reason for Duncan to worry about contagion to his wife. Man-at-Arms wouldn't have brought this concern up out of nowhere, so he instantly wrapped an arm around his wife to hold her back. He knew her instincts as a mother was to take Adam into her arms regardless of any potential consequences. He felt the same desire as a father, but he also had an obligation to protect his wife.

As she struggled and complained about his actions, he watched Adam vomit a little more. The king felt completely useless in this situation. He always had when Adam had been ill in the past—he never knew what to do. Eternians rarely vomited. They could have green skin, have stomachaches, and be delirious with fever and they still wouldn't "throw up." Outside infant spit-ups, he had only seen an Eternian do it one time and that had been when he was nearly dead. He looked at his wife and with a sigh recalled the first time he had seen Marlena do it. He had just brought her to the palace after she had crashed onto the planet. He had given her water to drink and it had come back up almost immediately after drinking it too quickly. Looking back at Adam now, he recalled the first time he had seen his son do it as a child. It had scared him to death.

Adam had been around the age of four or five and had been left in the care of his nursemaid when Marlena and he had decided to go on an evening excursion to the beach. Because Man-at-Arms had insisted on going since they hadn't wanted any of the other guards to tag along, Teela had also been left with the nurse. Unfortunately for the woman, she hadn't realized that these two could get into a lot of trouble when in each other's company. The kids had managed to leave Adam's private rooms after bedtime and sneak into the kitchen to eat a cake Chef Alan had prepared for a banquet on the following day. When Marlena and he had arrived to the Royal Wing of the palace that night, they had been greeted by the sight of Adam clutching his stomach and throwing up into a potted plant in the hallway while Teela rubbed his back soothingly. It had seemed to go on for an eternity, and he had woken up a lot of attendants and guards with his pleas to Marlena to allow him or Duncan to get the Royal Physician. She hadn't allowed them to after Teela told them what they had done that evening. She claimed it was an "Earthling thing," that Adam had eaten too much, and that she could handle it far better than the doctor could. After cleaning him up, Adam had slept with them, and he had stayed awake all night, watching his son and rubbing his stomach tenderly, hoping it had settled down.

He had the desire to do the same thing when Adam finally pushed himself against the wall and breathed deeply. He turned to Marlena and said, "I know you don't like it, Marlena, but we have to make sure Adam won't make you sick, too. I couldn't bear it or know what to do if you were both ill at the same time."

"Randor…" Marlena began in another protest, but he quickly brought his lips to hers softly.

When he pulled away, he whispered, "I'll stay with him until it's safe for you to do so." He gave her one more kiss and then turned to go to Adam.

Almost immediately, Man-at-Arms informed him, "You should probably stay away, as well, Your Majesty. If it is contagious to the queen, we don't want you to spread it to her by being exposed to Adam. I'll take Adam to the infirmary myself, and I'll come to get you as soon as I'm sure everything is okay. Go eat breakfast, and I guarantee you'll have word by the time you're finished."

The king now knew how Marlena felt. He shook his head and said, "My son isn't going to be alone…"

The King of Dyperia stepped forward and interrupted his brother by stating, "He won't be. I'll accompany Adam and Man-at-Arms to the infirmary."

The Royal Couple shook their heads in defiance. Randor knew Stefen and Duncan meant well, but Adam was his son and he wasn't going to just leave and allow him go through this without his family.

Despite their determined glares, Stefen continued, "Please, brother, let me help you for once. Your man-at-arms is right. We only want the doctor to confirm that he won't spread his illness to your wife, or anyone else for that matter. I promise you will be sent for as soon as we know…and we really don't have time to argue about this. Adam doesn't feel well at all."

King Randor nodded reluctantly, knowing that they were delaying Adam's care, and replied, "Okay, I'm entrusting Adam to you, but I want you to send for us the minute you know we can come. Understood?"

"Yes, brother," answered Stefen convincingly.

=)=)=)

Man-at-Arms and Stefen immediately slipped their arms around Adam's waist as he stood and together they led the prince away from the king and queen. As soon as they turned down several corridors and out of sight of everyone, Stefen exclaimed, "That was quick thinking, soldier! Thank you so much!

Man-at-Arms glared at Stefen and spat, "I didn't do it for you. I did it for Adam because I know he would never have gotten himself into this state on his own. I think Adam and I can manage without your assistance now." He pulled the prince away from the king.

Adam immediately protested. "Duncan…" he began.

"No," he said, glancing at the boy. "Neither one of you have any say on what is going to happen. Adam, you are going to your bedchambers to wash away this filth that I smell on you and then you're going to bed." He then turned his attention to King Stefen and stated sharply, "And, as for you, I don't want to see you alone with Adam again. If I do, I promise I'll tell your brother your involvement in this and I'll have you banished from the kingdom."

Stefen's jaw dropped at the threat.

Duncan, knowing that the Dyperian king knew he meant his words, glared at him once more before tugging Adam down the corridor to the prince's bedchamber.

=)=)=)

Adam wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and fall asleep. Unfortunately, he knew he wasn't going to get that opportunity just yet. Man-at-Arms had helped him into his room and the soldier pretty much dictated what they were going to do without any discussion. Instead of heading to the bed like Adam wanted, they walked into the lavatory.

"I know you probably want to sleep this off, but we have to clean you up," said Duncan softly.

Adam didn't say anything in reply. He simply sat on the toilet and buried his face in his hands. He felt awful, but after emptying his stomach, he had to admit he felt slightly better than he had before. Of course, now his head was pounding.

The prince heard the sounds of knobs turning and water flowing. He waited for the shower to start, but it never occurred. He lifted his head and looked at Duncan who was kneeling on the floor, running his hand through the water, and adjusting the temperature. When he was finished, he turned to look at the prince. When their eyes met and Adam raised his brow in question, Man-at-Arms guessed at the cause and explained, "I don't think a shower is a wise idea. I don't want you falling and hitting your head."

"I'm fine," whispered Adam as he looked down at the floor and breathed deeply.

"Oh, you're fine, are you?" Man-at-Arms asked as he stood and went to Adam's side. "If that's the case, then I think you're up to answering some questions."

The prince grimaced as he looked up at his friend. "It was entirely my fault," he said sadly.

Man-at-Arms knelt before the prince and brushed his hand against his knee to get his attention when Adam looked away. "Look, son, I know that you have some ownership in what has transpired—and believe me, we will get around to discussing that—but what I don't agree with is you protecting your uncle."

Adam looked down at his hands and replied, "I'm only speaking the truth. Uncle Stefen didn't tell me to hang with those people. He even told me to stay away from the contraband, but I suppose I didn't do a good job."

"What were you doing there in the first place? What did you call it? Madelia? I've heard of Eternos having an underground club for quite some time, but your father and I were always unable to locate it. I think it's safe to assume we're talking about the same place."

"Probably," agreed the prince.

When Adam didn't say anything more, Man-at-Arms turned back to the bathtub and shut off the water. "Okay, let's get you out of those clothes and into the tub," he ordered.

Adam stared at Duncan for a moment and fidgeted. No one had been in his lavatory while he bathed since he was a small child. Quickly, to avoid embarrassment, he stated, "I think I can handle it from here alone, Man-at-Arms." He stood, and Man-at-Arms did, as well. He turned toward the tub, thinking Duncan was leaving but was soon surprised when he heard his mentor speak.

"Absolutely not. I'm not taking any chances of something happening while you're unattended."

Adam turned back and sat on the edge of the tub. "I'm not an invalid," the prince insisted. "Besides, I don't see how I could hurt myself while taking a bath."

"Let's see," Man-at-Arms said, while stepping forward and reaching out to grab the prince's shirt. "You could slip while getting in or out of the tub. You're drunk and high, so you don't have the equilibrium that you usually do or your normal cognitive skills obviously. Also, you could fall asleep and drown. The possibilities and likelihoods given your condition are too great to risk, so I'm staying."

Adam sighed and knew he might as well relent. Without a word, he hurriedly took off his clothes and stepped into the tub. In his rush, when he stepped into the water, he actually did slip a little as his foot came in contact with the edge of the tub, but Man-at-Arms' hand shot out to steady him. Neither commented on the moment, and Adam sat inside the tub gingerly, immediately closing his eyes and relaxing as the water rushed over him.

=)=)=)

King Stefen eyed Man-at-Arms as the man led his nephew away from him. Determined, he followed the pair to see where they were going. As suspected, he took Adam to his bedchambers and not the infirmary.

Stefen thought about Duncan's last words to him. The soldier had insulted him, and not only that, he had threatened him. Despite his occasional dalliances with things un-courtly, he never had anyone treat or speak to him in such a manner. It was a matter of pride that he had to make the soldier pay for his words and actions. But how?

He smiled as he thought of a probable solution. He should simply do what the soldier threatened to do to him! He walked to the dining room but before he entered, he contorted his face into a worrisome look—he frowned and knitted his brows.

Neither his brother nor his wife was eating when he went inside. Randor was pacing the room and Marlena was simply stirring her food slowly with a spoon. The prince was undoubtedly consuming their thoughts, so he cleared his throat to grab their attention. Their response was immediate.

"Stefen!" exclaimed Randor. Both king and queen rushed to him while his brother continued, "What news do you have? Is Adam okay? Does the doctor think it's okay to for us see him?"

Stefen continued to frown and answered, "I hardly know."

"You hardly know?" asked Marlena confusedly. "What on Earth do you mean?"

The Dyperian king glanced at Marlena curiously and was going to question her words, when he remembered he had something more important to do. He sighed and shook his head slowly. "What I mean is I don't know," he answered. "I thought Duncan was going to take Adam to the infirmary, but instead he took him to his bedchambers. Since they went there, I figured it was okay to come see you. After all, if Adam was truly ill and contagious, he would have taken him straight to his doctor, right?"

Randor and Marlena looked at each other questioningly and Stefen grinned inwardly. He knew they were questioning why Man-at-Arms would take Adam to his bedchambers when he had been so adamant about the boy being sick and a possible harm to his mother. He wondered what his brother's response would be. He didn't have long to wait.

"Well, if Adam is well enough to go to his bedchambers, then he is well enough to see his parents," he said insistently. He looked over at his wife and extended his hand. "Are you coming, dear?"

Marlena quickly took her husband's hand and they rushed from the room.

As they left, King Stefen followed from behind. Man-at-Arms was a quick thinker. He had saved Adam earlier and he wondered if the soldier could be just as fast when he was the one in the hot seat.

=)=)=)

Adam sighed contentedly as he felt his muscles relax in the hot water. He found himself falling asleep, but he was quickly awakened by Man-at-Arm's voice:

"Do you want me to help you bathe?"

Instantly, Adam opened his eyes and grabbed the washcloth Duncan was holding up. "Of course not," he answered as he grabbed a nearby bar of soap.

Man-at-Arms smiled as he watched his prince scrub his arms. He had known his question would make Adam bathe, and the quicker he could get Adam into bed the better. The boy looked horrible and Duncan knew he had to be extremely tired from being out all night. Regardless, he also took this opportunity to get some details out of him. "You never answered my earlier question," he observed to get the conversation started.

Adam continued to wash and refused to look at Man-at-Arms, but he did respond. "What did you ask?"

"Why were you out last night? Why did you go to this Madelia?" he asked expectantly.

Adam shrugged and whispered, "To tell the truth, I don't know."

Duncan cocked his lip in a sign of disbelief and replied, "Come on, Adam. There has to be a reason. You didn't just decide out of the blue to go to an illegal establishment to get high. At least, I hope you didn't, because that doesn't sound like the Adam I know."

Adam stopped washing and stared at the wall ahead of him. "I wanted to experience what I was missing out on," he admitted.

"What?"

Adam met his eyes and explained, "Uncle Stefen and Father explored Eternos when they were younger. They've probably done a million things I've never even heard of and…I don't know! I just…when Uncle Stefen made the offer to explore the city, I decided I'd take him up on it. After all, it wasn't anything that my own father hasn't done as he gladly pointed out at the time. And, besides, I wanted to do something normal for a change. I'm constantly pretending to be the fun-loving Prince Adam, who actually rarely has fun, and the courageous He-Man. I'm never just Adam anymore." He looked away from his mentor and whispered, "It's hard to explain."

"I think you did just fine," observed Duncan. "I understand completely, but there are some things you don't know, Adam, that your uncle obviously didn't tell you."

"Like what?"

Man-at-Arms shrugged and answered, "I cannot deny that your father went out into Eternos with your uncle when he was younger. I've heard many of the stories myself. Some were amusing, but a lot weren't, and your father feels the same way about those outings. He has shared some of the more humorous ones with family and friends, but he's quick to tell everyone that he regrets doing those things with his brother. Never doubt that. Your father shared a lot of the unpleasant evenings with me—things he doesn't want you to know—but I will tell you this much: they ended in situations similar to the one you found yourself in. He never went out to go to any particular place, get drunk, or get into fights, but those things continuously happened. In his youth, Randor laughed it off, but I know he doesn't want you to have those experiences, Adam. And, trust me, you don't want them."

Adam stared down at his hands after Duncan finished speaking. He felt guilty.

The prince continued to keep his eyes down as he pulled the plug from the tub and stood. He wrapped a towel around his waist and allowed Duncan to help him to his bedroom. When they reached his bed, Man-at-Arms left him to go to his closet. He handed Adam a pair of his standard sleepwear and the prince pulled it on over his head. Afterward, the boy climbed into bed, settled under his blankets, and drifted off to sleep after mere seconds of his head hitting the pillow.

As Duncan tucked the prince in, he heard the sound of the door opening. He turned his head to tell who he thought was a maid to leave, when he suddenly gasped. King Randor, Queen Marlena, and King Stefen walked into the room. The latter had a smug smirk on his face, while the king looked at him inquisitively and stated, "I believe it's okay for us to see Adam, now. Right, Man-at-Arms?"

Duncan immediately glared at King Stefen before answering his king. "Yes, sire."


	6. Questions and Lies

Against Nature Chapter 6

King Stefen smiled as he watched the scene unfold before him. His brother had basically stated rather than asked if it were now okay to see Adam. The glare that Man-at-Arms flashed the Dyperian king's way before he answered affirmatively told him that the soldier was not pleased with him at the moment. The feeling was mutual.

He continued to watch in silence as Queen Marlena went to the bed to sit beside Adam. She immediately reached out to press the back of her hand against his cheek and then on his forehead under his bangs. In the corner of his eye, he saw Man-at-Arms sigh with almost a look of relief: his posture had relaxed almost immediately and a slight upturn of his lips told him that the soldier was happy or at least glad of something. He wondered what Duncan was thinking to have caused such a response.

After everyone watched the queen for a moment, King Randor asked, "Is he okay, my dear?"

"I think so," she muttered. "I'll feel better when he's awake and telling me how he feels, but I don't want to wake him up. It's better for him to sleep while he's sick so he won't be so miserable."

"That's what I thought," interjected Duncan.

Everyone in the room—aside from the prince—turned their attention to Man-at-Arms, and King Stefen lifted his brow slightly in surprise. The man was drawing the attention of everyone when he should have wanted to avoid it. This was very interesting, and he couldn't help but grin as Duncan met Randor's gaze without hesitation or worry.

King Randor looked at his man-at-arms curiously for a moment before stating, "I'm glad to see that Adam is okay and not in the infirmary, but I'm a little confused, Duncan. I thought you said he might be contagious."

Calmly, Man-at-Arms nodded and replied, "I had thought so at the time, but as King Stefen and I was helping Adam to the infirmary, I remembered that Queen Marlena told me in the past that when Earthlings are contagious, they usually have a fever. Adam doesn't, so I figured I'd let him sleep whatever this is off."

King Stefen widened his grin even more. So, that's why he calmed when he saw Marlena feeling Adam's skin—it had given him his current excuse. Yes, the man was a fast thinker and without a doubt, a great asset to Prince Adam. Of that, he had no doubt now.

Finally speaking for the first time, Stefen stepped forward and said, "I'm glad that Adam is okay. Since he is, I think I'll go back to the dining room to eat breakfast. I'll be back later in the day to check on him, if that is okay, brother?"

King Randor nodded as he answered, "Yes, and I think I will join you, but Marlena and I will stay a little while longer to ensure that Adam is okay." He then turned to Man-at-Arms and said, "And, you can go, as well. I don't want you to skip breakfast. You've done enough for my son this morning."

"It was no trouble at all," replied Duncan, honestly.

King Randor clasped his shoulder and said gratefully, "I know it isn't, but I want to relieve you of the job and thank you, anyway."

Man-at-Arms nodded and responded, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Without further word, King Stefen and Man-at-Arms left the room. As soon as the door shut behind them, Stefen started clapping enthusiastically.

=)=)=)

Once again, Duncan found himself glaring at Stefen as the king clapped continuously with a huge smile covering his face. "What are you clapping for?" he asked snippily.

The king immediately stopped his actions but continued to grin. "Why, I'm showing appreciation for your grand performance in there!" he exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?"

The king shrugged merrily with a smirk and answered, "Twice, in a short period of time, you have gotten Adam and yourself out of a very tight situation without telling my brother the truth. I think that deserves applause. And, I must admit your actions tell me a great many things."

Duncan no longer looked at the king with distaste—now he looked worried. "Like what?" he almost whispered.

Stefen motioned with his head to walk down the hall together. Outside Adam's bedchambers where Randor and Marlena could hear was no place to have this conversation. As the two men walked through the corridors toward the dining room, Stefen inferred, "You are very skilled, and therefore very practiced, at lying to my brother."

"What?" gasped Man-at-Arms.

The Dyperian king smiled at Duncan and shot out a hand to grab his arm lightly to stop his movements. They faced one another and Stefen explained, "I have seen many people lie to me over the years. I have practice as a king, and I'm sure my brother does, as well, but you are in a unique position. My brother trusts you without question. You have been his right-hand man for many years, and you've also been through so much together, so he turns a blind-eye to what is so glaringly obvious or he simply doesn't take notice because it is you. Either way, I pay attention where he does not."

Duncan immediately shook his head and opened his mouth to respond, but Stefen held a hand up to stop him.

He continued speaking, "Because my soldiers and citizens have taken oaths of allegiance, they always hesitate when lying to me. They always question in their minds if they should tell the truth or lie to save themselves or whomever they are protecting. I always catch them. But you? I know you had to make that very decision with Adam today, and yet, you showed no emotion. The only time you did—aside from contempt for me—was when you had thought of another lie to tell my brother, and that was one of relief not worry. That tells me without a doubt—so don't bother to deny it—that you are very accustomed to lying to my brother. I even daresay you lie to him for Prince Adam. It's obvious you are very comfortable doing so, which means it has become routine." The king watched the soldier and noticed with satisfaction that his words had surprised Duncan and even more importantly that Duncan hadn't adamantly denied them.

Stefen leaned forward and whispered, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me, and likewise, my secret is now safe with you. You have your secrets concerning Adam and I have mine. Randor doesn't have to know any of them, wouldn't you agree?"

Duncan cleared his throat and stated calmly, "I don't know what you're talking about."

The king grinned and said, "Yes, you do, and to prove it, I will spend time with Adam and I will continue to do as I please, and you won't say anything because you are guilty of keeping situations from my brother, too. Fair is fair, soldier."

=)=)=)

After watching Adam for several more minutes and assuring Marlena continuously during that time that their son would be all right, Randor entered the dining room to join his brother and Duncan for breakfast. As soon as Marlena and he crossed the threshold, he stopped. Both Stefen and Man-at-Arms were eating quietly and they weren't looking at one another. He found that very odd considering both usually socialized a great deal with others while eating.

He stepped into the room and asked, "Is everything okay in here?"

Man-at-Arms moved his gaze, which was at his plate, to Randor and nodded.

Stefen, however, spoke jollily, "Of course it is! Why wouldn't it be?"

Randor and Marlena settled into their seats at the head of the table and the King of Eternia replied, "Well, you two were very quiet when I walked in. I felt tension."

Stefen laughed and shook his head with a smile. "There is no tension, brother. We were simply hungry and enjoying our meal. You walked in at a moment when we were eating." He paused and looked at Duncan. "Isn't that right, soldier?"

Man-at-Arms stared at Stefen with a blank stare for a moment before he turned to Randor and stated, "He's correct, Your Majesty."

Randor, who was not completely convinced, nodded briefly as he watched members of the kitchen staff suddenly appeared with fresh plates of food. Their plates from earlier had been removed and presumably thrown away or given to someone else. As his new plate was set before him, he turned to Man-at-Arms and asked, "So, what were you discussing?"

=)=)=)

He hated to admit it, but Duncan was getting a little tired of the Royal Family…and it wasn't Randor's or Adam's fault, but he felt that way nonetheless, thanks to Stefen and his blackmail, if he could call it that. Technically, Stefen was right in everything he had said. Fair was fair. He kept secrets from Randor regarding Adam, just like Stefen wanted to do. It would be hypocritical to call the King of Dyperia out on it. It was unfortunate for him that the king knew of the hypocrisy, because he knew Stefen would use it against him if he had to. And, because of this knowledge, he didn't want to answer any more questions. He only wanted to talk to Adam about his uncle but that had to wait until he was well, and his king had asked him a question so he had to tell him something. He decided he might as well be partially truthful about something that occurred even though Stefen and he hadn't discussed it: "We were talking about Teela. She was leaving as we arrived and worried since no one joined her for breakfast. I told her about Adam, so she might be stopping by his chambers sometime today."

Randor nodded, but Duncan could tell that the king was still sensing that something was wrong. Randor wasn't a dumb man, and despite King Stefen's earlier analysis, his brother did pay attention to all of his guard, especially him. He might not question Man-at-Arms' words in front of people, but he had no doubt that when they had an opportunity to be alone, Randor would question him not only about his silence with Stefen but also the incidents with Adam. At least he had time to figure out what he wanted to say. He wouldn't be caught off guard like he had been earlier. Thankfully, his explanations at those times had been good ones despite the spontaneity.

He looked at King Stefen and tried to control his response. He never felt this irritated toward anyone before...besides Skeletor and his minions. He knew without question that Stefen was to blame for Adam's current condition despite the boy's constant claims that he was at fault. The prince would have never been at the location if it wasn't for the Dyperian king. Being rambunctious and exploring Eternos would have never entered his mind if his uncle hadn't encouraged him and told him about his own father doing the same when he was younger.

But, of course, he sometimes forgot that Adam was just a boy. Yes, he was of age, but he was still maturing into the man he would one day be. Because of Adam's extreme intellect, good nature, and unshakable sense of responsibility, he had often treated him as a man who had been on the battlefield or leading for years. He had forgotten that Adam was young and could be like any other youth who actually wanted to cause a little mischief just for the sake of doing it and experiencing life. Aside from his adventures as He-Man, Adam hadn't really been exposed to everything Eternia had to offer, good or bad. Yes, He-Man's adventures provided him with a lot of experiences and opportunities, but those were extreme and dire opportunities. They weren't choices most would deal with in their lifetime, and despite his experiences beyond the common man, again he had to admit Adam did miss out on a lot, as well.

Adam experienced most things in his adult life as He-Man, and He-Man would never have had the opportunity to go out into Eternos and drink with his uncle. The hero couldn't afford such luxuries, so Adam probably did it because he had thought it would be his only opportunity. Randor and he wouldn't have offered. Teela had learned her lesson when she came home drunk. Besides, she already believed Adam misbehaved continuously, so she wouldn't offer. The truth was Adam didn't have anyone who he could honestly kid around and get into a little trouble with aside from Cringer. He realized now that this was a problem, because it was possible that one day all of the seriousness (despite that he pretended to be fun-loving) and responsibility would make him rebel and do these things on his own. And, even worse, he might do these things in secret, not under the protective shield of him or his uncle. He could run into a lot of trouble.

Duncan sighed. There were just too many things to think about thanks to what had happened. Who was in the wrong, really? Stefen for exposing him to the dirtier side of Eternos or Randor for sheltering him so much? He honestly didn't know.

=)=)=)

King Randor watched Duncan stare at Stefen and wondered what was wrong. He had been staring at the man without speaking, which again was very uncharacteristic of Man-at-Arms. "Are you sure everything is all right, Duncan?" he asked softly.

Duncan quickly realized he had been staring at Stefen and Randor had caught him. He quickly averted his eyes as the Dyperian king turned his attention to him and looked at Randor. "Yes," he answered, "I was just thinking about Adam. My mind was a million miles away."

"Yes, I saw," said Randor slowly. He stared at his Man-at-Arms for a couple of more seconds before asking softly, "Is there anything I should know, Duncan? You're not acting like yourself and I can't help but wonder if something's wrong. You can tell me anything…you know that, right?"

Man-at-Arm's sighed, closed his eyes briefly, and responded, "Yes, I know that, Your Majesty, but no, there's nothing to share. I'm just worried about Adam. I'm not used to him being in this state." Duncan looked down at his plate as he realized that was probably the only honest conversation he had that morning and even then, he didn't reveal all.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	7. Problems Between Family and Friends

Against Nature Chapter 7

As anticipated, the workday hadn't been as long as usual. King Randor and Queen Marlena found themselves descending the throne with only half the day gone. Of course, that didn't mean things wouldn't pop up. They normally did, but at least it wouldn't be in tandem with other obligations that they had already promised to handle. At that particular moment, however, King Randor wasn't basking in the thoughts of freedom. Instead, he stared at the back of Man-at-Arms as his friend turned and followed his wife to leave the room.

"Duncan," he called out to stop his departure, "may I have a word with you?"

The king was surprised to see him actually sigh. Never before had he seen his man-at-arms respond to one of his requests in such a way. Now he knew for certain something was seriously wrong.

"Yes, sire," said Man-at-Arms as he turned and began to walk towards him.

When they met in the center of the throne room, Randor was about to ask Duncan to follow him to his office so they could talk privately when he heard his name being called. He glanced behind him to see his brother there.

King Stefen stepped beside him and Randor's trained eye told him that his brother was up to something. He had years of practice catching the subtle signs: Stefen was trying to hold back a smile and his movements were a little too peppy. Randor wondered if his younger brother was about to ask him to fall back on old childhood habits and spend the "free evening" with him doing things a king had no business doing. Randor took a deep breath as he waited to hear whatever would be said—what he heard came as a surprise.

"If you no longer need me for anything, brother, I think I'll head to Adam's room to see how he's doing," he said.

Randor blinked several times in succession. "What?" he asked suddenly confused that he wasn't hearing what he thought he would.

Stefen smiled innocently and explained, "I just wanted to ask if it were okay with you that I check on Adam. The boy had a rough morning and even though we're just getting to know one another, I'm already very fond of my nephew."

At his brother's expectant look, Randor found himself nodding. "Uh, sure…yes," he stammered as he thought about his brother's request. It was completely unexpected and it left him questioning whether he had read his sibling accurately earlier. Maybe Marlena was right—maybe he was being silly holding their childhood antics against his brother and believing Stefen was still the same person. Randor realized his own bias might be clouding his judgment. He smiled at Stefen warmly, deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt, and added, "I'm pleased that Adam and you are getting along so well, then. If Adam is awake, please tell him his mother and I will be there to see him shortly."

"That I will, brother," said Stefen happily.

At that moment, Stefen turned his attention to Man-at-Arms and Randor received another puzzling sight: Stefen's smile, which had seemed innocent enough when he was looking at him, evolved into a smirk when Stefen's eyes fell upon Duncan. Randor watched as Duncan's face reddened and his eyes squinted. Now, Randor knew that whatever was bothering Man-at-Arms, his brother was definitely responsible or at least involved.

=)=)=)

Duncan could feel heat rush to his face as the King of Dyperia looked at him smugly. He knew what the aristocrat was thinking—he was about to do the very thing that Man-at-Arms had warned him not to do. He was about to visit Adam on his own. Earlier that had been something Duncan had wanted to prevent at all costs, but now as he watched Stefen leave the room, he knew he couldn't say anything to Randor. The same problems still existed: if he told Randor what Stefen had done with his son, Randor would explode not only at Stefen but Adam as well. Adam would be punished and probably watched for a very long time. And, he wouldn't even think about Randor's reaction toward him because the king would realize Duncan had initially lied to him to keep Adam and Stefen out of trouble in the first place. No, telling Randor was not an option.

Besides, despite his annoyance with King Stefen and the chaos the man was now creating for him, he knew the king would never intentionally allow any harm to come to Adam—it was the unintentional things he was really worried about. He didn't like putting Adam in situations where mistakes were more likely to occur. Evidently, Stefen didn't care or at least thought his outings were worth the risk. It was going to be hard to convince a man who had done this—and gotten away with it his whole life—any differently, but he had to try somehow.

What made the whole situation worse was that he knew King Stefen was playing him like a puppet. He had a suspicion that the monarch knew from the moment that Duncan had gotten Adam and him out of trouble the first time that he would continue to do so. Everything subsequent was to get a rise out of him or to see how far he would go. Now that he knew, Stefen wasn't worried about Duncan telling his brother in the slightest. But just because he wouldn't tell his brother didn't mean that he couldn't do something about it. King Stefen of Dyperia would just have to learn that the hard way. He would learn that no one messes with a member of the Royal Family of Eternos without answering to him.

Duncan turned to walk away and almost ran into Randor. He had forgotten that he was there. Once again, heat overwhelmed him but for totally new reasons. "Forgive me, Your Majesty," he said, feeling completely embarrassed. "I…forgot you were there for a moment."

"Obviously," stated Randor who scrutinized him. After a second of contemplation, he continued, "I want you to tell me what's going on, Duncan, and don't tell me it's nothing. I saw what just transpired between you and my brother."

Man-at-Arms immediately feigned stupidity. "What just transpired?"

Randor frowned and stated, "You were looking at him with something akin to intense frustration. I've never seen you look that way at anyone aside from Skeletor and his followers. I'm shocked to see it turned towards my own brother…but I know you must have your reasons. I know all too well the things my brother can do to others, so I ask you again…what's going on?"

=)=)=)

Prince Adam groaned as he turned his head away from the sunlight that was bothering him despite his being asleep.

"Adam?" he heard a somewhat high and grainy voice say, breaking through the fog of the dream he was currently having.

Groaning again, he opened his eyes to see who he had expected. Orko was floating above him and immediately the little Trollan flung his arms around the prince's neck. "I was so worried when I heard you were sick," he said.

Adam kept his head down and patted his friend on the back a little as he said, "I appreciate the concern, Orko, but I'm fine. I just have a little headache now, but I'm sure that will go away soon."

"Not on its own," a voice from the doorway said.

Everyone in the room—which also included Cringer who was sitting on the floor in front of Adam—turned to see Stefen walk inside.

"I'm glad you're awake," the king said as he quickly handed Adam a glass he was carrying. "Drink up!"

Adam took the glass as he asked, "What is it?" His outing to Madelia had taught him many things and one was to ask what something was before you tasted it.

Stefen grinned and turned to Orko. "I need to speak with my nephew privately. Would you please excuse us?"

"Yes, sir," said the court jester. He went back to Adam and hugged him again. "Feel better soon."

"I will, Little Buddy," he agreed as Orko left the room.

Once the magician was gone, King Stefen answered Adam's question, "It's water. I thought you might need it, and after hearing that you have a headache, I'm glad I brought it. Hangovers are the body's way of telling you that you're dehydrated, you know."

"Good to know," replied the prince as he sat up and started to drink slowly.

King Stefen pulled a chair over to the bed beside Cringer, sat down, and patted Adam on the leg through his sheets. "I'm sorry you got a hangover, Adam. I hope you don't hold it against me."

"Not at all. It was my fault. You told me to stay away from that stuff and evidently I didn't listen too well."

"Well, not exactly," whispered his uncle. "I told you to stay away from the contraband. I did buy you a drink, so I didn't tell you to stay away from alcohol."

Adam sighed and responded, "But I didn't get drunk on what you bought me. I didn't like it."

"So, you found something you did like?" asked Stefen with a grin.

Adam opened his mouth to reply but when he saw his uncle's expression, he stopped and smiled despite himself. "It wasn't quite like that," he said slowly. He fumbled for the right words to explain what had happened when he finally decided to just say it. "Ashlyn and her friends were drinking and shared it with me. It was quite good. I guess I drank a little more than I thought."

"Ashlyn, huh?" asked Stefen with a wider grin.

Adam immediately blushed because he could tell his uncle was about to give him a hard time about hanging out with a girl at the club. He shrugged and replied to cut things short, "Yeah, she was with her brother and friends. All of us had a great time while it lasted."

King Stefen continued to grin. He could tell Adam was a little uncomfortable with the topic, but he was curious so he couldn't stop himself from asking more questions. "So, when do you think you'll be seeing them again?"

Adam looked down at the bedspread and shrugged. "Probably never," he whispered.

"What?"

The prince shook his head. "I don't go out into Eternos like that, Uncle Stefen," he explained. "I pretty much stick close to the palace or I'm out on royal business. I don't really have time to make close friends outside the palace walls."

"You could change that, you know." Stefen got up and sat on the bed beside him. "What we did last night could happen again. We can go out and you can make new friends, see what Eternos has to offer, and…"

"And, come home drunk and high and then get sick in the morning…" interrupted Adam. "No, I don't think I can make a habit out of that."

"You don't have to do those things!" said Stefen insistently. "Adam, you made a mistake last night, but you can watch your alcohol intake next time—lesson learned, after all. And, if your friends want to smoke, ask them not to do so in your presence. It's not that hard of a situation to solve."

"Except for the sneaking out of the palace and lying to everyone part," quipped Adam.

"Do you honestly not want to go again? Do you really want to stay behind these palace walls and live the secluded life your father has laid out before you?" asked Stefen incredulously. "If you do, that's fine and I'll never bring it up again."

Adam sighed as he closed his eyes and thought about his response. He decided to be truthful: "Part of me wants to forget last night ever happened. That part of me wants to tell you I don't want to go again…but part of me does. Despite this morning, I did have a good time last night. It's the most fun I've had in a very long time sadly. It was exhilarating…but I don't want to disappoint Duncan or my parents."

King Stefen grinned as he put his arm around his nephew and whispered, "You don't have to disappoint them. We'll be more careful next time, get home at a decent hour, and not drink as much. What do you say? Do you want to have another evening out in the near future?"

For the first time that morning since King Stefen walked in, Adam took the time to study Cringer to get his opinion on everything. The tiger shook his head and shivered nervously. Cringer didn't have to say anything to get his point across to his young master. Adam got it loud and clear and he sighed as he shook his head and thought about what he wanted to do for a change. He knew he would probably feel guilty later, but he wanted to go. He wanted to be a normal twenty-year-old and experience the things all the other young men at his age did. His uncle was right—he learned from his mistakes at Madelia and would be more careful next time. He finally looked at King Stefen and nodded his head. "Yes, I do. When would you like to go next time?"

=)=)=)

The silence was almost unbearable as Duncan followed the king to his office. Earlier Randor had asked what was going on between him and King Stefen, and he had been unable to answer right away. The truth was he didn't know what to say. What lie could he tell that would be believable? Luckily, one of Randor's sentinels had walked into the room and Duncan had looked away. It evidently gave the king the impression that he didn't want to speak about the matter so publicly.

As they crossed the threshold into Randor's office, Duncan paused to shut the door and lock it. He didn't want King Stefen to walk in while they were discussing this…whatever this conversation turned out to be. He didn't know where it would lead.

As for Randor, he propped himself on his desk and gestured for Man-at-Arms to sit in a chair in front of him. "Okay, Duncan," he said firmly, "tell me what's going on."

Slowly to buy himself some time, Duncan made his way over to the seat the king had offered him. When he sat down, he gulped nervously as his mind raced to find an answer. He sat there for several long moments before he heard the king sigh and get up to sit in the chair beside him.

"Duncan, we have been friends for quite a while," the king observed. "I have seen you in all kinds of predicaments and I've never once seen you as rattled as you are right now. I told you during breakfast that you could tell me anything and I want you to know I meant that. Forget that Stefen is my brother. Speak with candor. After all, he may be my brother but you're my friend, and I won't forget that."

Duncan stared down at his lap and shook his head a couple of times very slowly. Finally, he stated, "King Stefen and I don't really get along."

"That much is obvious," replied Randor. "Why?"

Man-at-Arms shrugged as he stood. He turned to his king and explained reluctantly, "Because he's so different from you! He's loud, he thinks everything is a joke, he does things unbecoming of royalty, and he sticks his nose in places where it doesn't belong."

Now Randor knew he was getting somewhere. "And, where is my brother sticking his nose that's undone you so?"

Duncan walked across the room and stared out a nearby window. "I can't tell you," whispered Man-at-Arms.

Randor didn't hear his words, but he knew Man-at-Arms said something. "What?" he questioned, getting up to head towards him.

Duncan turned, looked back at him, and replied honestly, "Forgive me, sire, but I don't really want to discuss this."

Randor paused as he contemplated his man-at-arms' words. He then continued to walk to his friend and stood beside him. As they both stared out the window, the king said, "This frustration did not exist yesterday. You and he were getting along amicably while we were showing him the palace. It's only today that I've noticed a change in both your behaviors. What happened between yesterday and today?" He noticed Duncan squirm and thought about the only other time he saw Duncan and King Stefen together before the awkwardness began.

"Does this have something to do with Adam?" he questioned.

Man-at-Arms gasped in response.

The king continued, "Like I said, you were fine yesterday and then out of the blue you weren't." He stared at Duncan and tried to read any reaction the man might give during their conversation. "The only other time I saw you together was when you were helping Adam." Suddenly, Randor frowned.

Duncan knew the king was putting things together even if he didn't know the specifics. He knew the king now believed their attitudes toward each other had something to do with Adam and his illness, so he had to do something and do it quickly. But what? To avoid the king saying anything aloud that Duncan would have to answer and be in direct violation of his oath of allegiance again, Man-at-Arms knew he had to give an excuse that dealt with Adam immediately. He shook his head and finally offered, "I don't like him interfering with my mentoring of Adam?"

It was more of a question than an answer, because he had no idea if Randor would buy anything like that, but it was the closest thing he could offer to the truth.

Randor read Duncan's tone as hesitancy in admitting the truth instead of hopefulness that he had found a believable excuse. "How is he interfering with your mentoring?" he questioned. The king thought about the morning events and then what had happened in the throne room. His brother had been helping Duncan take care of Adam, and in the throne room, Stefen had wanted to visit Adam to see if he was okay. It suddenly dawned on Randor what the problem could be.

Before Man-at-Arms could offer any kind of answer, Randor reached out and grabbed his shoulder. "I know Adam is like a son to you. You have had a part in raising him as much as Marlena and I, but Stefen is his uncle. If you feel threatened by…" He paused to think of a way to state this delicately. "Look, I think I know what you're going through."

"You do?" questioned Duncan.

Randor nodded. "I still live with it to this day."

Duncan furrowed his brow questioningly. He had no idea where their discussion was heading, but he'd let Randor take the lead since the king was offering a reasonable explanation for their conduct himself. Whatever he came up with would be believable to himself, after all.

Randor turned and motioned with his hands for them to head back to their seats. Randor moved his seat to face Duncan's and said, "I never thought we'd have this conversation, but I think I'm glad I have the opportunity. It makes me feel less guilty since you are feeling similar things right now."

Duncan schooled his expression to one that gave nothing away. He knew to look confused might make Randor believe his assumptions were wrong. Besides, he was now more curious than he was before with each passing word the king spoke.

"When I first noticed the closeness that Adam and you were developing with one another, I became insanely jealous," admitted Randor, looking away from his friend. "Adam and I…we don't spend as much time together as you and he do. Kingdom affairs do have some fault in that, but I also know it's because we have drifted a part a little over recent years. It hurts to see you two get closer as he and I become more distant. But despite all of that, I'm glad Adam has you in his life. I also know Adam loves me. I'm his father and not even you could take that from me."

Randor finally met Duncan's eyes with his own and continued, "I still get jealous from time to time, so I know how you feel and since I go through this, let me offer some solace: Stefen is his uncle, but he will never be the man you are to Adam. You helped Marlena and I raise him. You have taught him a lot of the things he knows about science, battle, and life in general. Stefen was never there, and no matter how close they get, I know my son will always have a place for you in his life. Never doubt that. Just like I know he'll always have a place for me."

Duncan was stunned at Randor's revelation. He never knew the king was jealous of his relationship with Adam. And despite Randor not exactly being right about the problem with King Stefen, his words did offer Man-at-Arms some solace and hope. He was right—Adam and he had built a strong relationship and they trusted one another. Adam didn't have that with his uncle, so he knew he had a better chance of holding onto the boy and keeping him in line. "Thank you, Your Majesty," he whispered with a genuine smile.

=)=)=)

Adam and Stefen emerged from the prince's bedchambers with Cringer following close behind. Despite the rough morning, Adam felt like he could face the rest of the day. He was already looking forward to their next excursion which his uncle said would be that very night. At first he had been a little reluctant to go out again so soon, but when his uncle explained that everyone would expect Adam to spend the day and night resting after being ill, it made a lot of sense. They would be loathed to disturb him, so it gave them the perfect opportunity. Besides, he was feeling a lot better, so he was up to it physically.

"How about eating lunch outside?" asked Adam as they walked toward the kitchen. Adam hadn't eaten anything that morning and the king had agreed on accompanying him for lunch.

"Sounds good to me."

Once Adam had spoken with Chef Alan and arranged for someone in the kitchen staff to bring their meals to them, Stefen and Adam went outside to sit at one of the picnic tables out in the courtyard. As soon as they walked outside, Stefen exclaimed, "What a beautiful day!" There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun shined brilliantly upon them.

Adam smiled and replied, "It's always a beautiful day on Eternia."

As they settled into their seats across from one another, Adam heard a familiar voice in the nearby distance. He turned to look in that direction to see what was going on and saw one of the guards speaking hostilely to someone standing outside the side entrance of the palace gate.

Adam and Stefen both got up to investigate and as they got closer, the voice became more distinctive and he could understand what was being said.

"Look, I know I don't have an appointment, but I would really appreciate it if I could speak with the prince. I just want to make sure he's okay."

The soldier shook his head and said forcibly, "Listen lady, people just can't walk onto the palace grounds and see the prince, especially those who try to sneak into the side entrance."

"I wasn't sneaking, but is that what I have to do? Go to the front entrance and then I can see him?"

The guard shook his head and said, "I didn't say that. Look, just go to the front and make an appointment. Let Prince Adam be the one to decide if he'll see you at a later date, but he won't be doing so today."

"Just tell him that Ashlyn and Daniel are here to see him! I know he'll see us!"

"And, I know he won't," the guard snappishly, finally getting angry with the girl's insistence. "The prince isn't in the habit of meeting people…"

Adam stepped behind the guard and said abruptly, "And, you would be wrong, soldier."

The guard immediately jumped and turned around quickly to face the prince. "Pr-prince Adam," he gasped. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. I didn't know you were there. I didn't mean to suggest that I knew your mind, but this girl was being rather insistent."

Adam looked over at Ashlyn and the others—the whole crew was there—and smiled. He looked back at the guard and said, "Well, perhaps the lady knew she was right and that I would in fact see her. Let them in." The prince's tone toward the soldier held more than a little censure, especially when he corrected the guard's usage of the word "girl" when referring to Ashlyn.

"Yes, sir," the guard said, feeling more than a little embarrassed, and stepped away speedily.

"Adam!" said Ashlyn happily as she ran into the courtyard and gave Adam a big hug. "I'm so happy to see that you're okay. You left Madelia so abruptly that we wanted to make sure you hadn't gotten into any trouble with your folks."

Adam sighed and said, "They don't know about my outing, so no, I didn't get into any trouble…but what would you have done if I had?"

Daniel stepped forward and shook Adam's hand. "That's what we asked her," he said exasperatedly as he shook his head at his sister.

"I would have done what it took to get him out of trouble. I was cooking up some of the best lies you've ever heard!" she replied and then stuck her tongue out at him.

"Some of the craziest, you mean," laughed Rob as he also stepped forward to shake the prince's hand. "How are you doing, Prince Adam?"

"Do you want me to be truthful?" asked the young prince, and when everyone nodded, a cough interrupted them.

Everyone turned toward the sound and King Stefen stepped forward. "Adam, are you going to introduce me to your friends? We had to leave so quickly this morning that I didn't receive the pleasure."

"Certainly," replied Adam, but before he could Ashlyn gasped.

"You're a king!" she cried, noticing the crown on his head that hadn't been there when she had first seen him. "I mean, I know you're not King Randor. At least, I think you're not. You don't look like him, but I've only seen him in the distance…"

Adam laughed and interjected, "Ashlyn, this is my Uncle Stefen. He is King of Dyperia."

Ashlyn immediately offered her hand and the king brought it to his lips and kissed it. "Pleased to meet you," he said.

Ashlyn laughed nervously and returned the sentiment then stood beside Adam quickly. While the other guys introduced themselves to the king, Ashlyn smiled and whispered, "So, you were going to tell us how you were doing."

Adam nodded and answered Rob's earlier question. "The truth is I had a pretty rough morning. I came home drunk. I didn't realize I had so much to drink…and I think I got high off of whatever you were smoking."

The group fell silent for a couple of seconds, but the moment was quickly interrupted by Ashlyn, Daniel, Rob, and Phil laughing loudly.

"Oh, Ancients!" exclaimed Phil, still laughing. "I wish I could have seen that! I bet that's the first time you were ever in such a state!"

Coming to his nephew's aid, Stefen replied, "Well, it wasn't as funny as it sounds. Adam isn't the kind of person who gets goofy when he's drunk. He gets sick."

Everyone fell silent again and this time Ashlyn interrupted it by saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry, Adam. We didn't mean to make you ill!"

"It's okay," whispered Adam, looking down at her. "I should have excused myself, so it's my fault."

"Well, we won't smoke around you again without your permission," she appeased, "and we'll make sure not to drink too much."

Embarrassed, Adam flushed to a rosy hue and stated, "I can look after myself. You don't have to do it for me. I just needed to make the mistake so I could learn from it."

King Stefen started nodding, winked at Adam, and whispered, "Exactly."

Adam knew his uncle was referring to more than just learning about what he could handle with alcohol. He was referring to everything. King Stefen had made several comments recently that his father kept Adam secluded and he had even said at Madelia that he shouldn't be so out of touch with his people since he would one day be King of Eternia. Learning from mistakes was definitely something the King of Dyperia believed in, but he also thought about what Duncan had said. His father regretted the things he had done with King Stefen. But, one could ask if those experiences helped make King Randor who he was today.

He smiled at his uncle, looked back at his new friends, and asked, "Would you like to join us for lunch? Uncle Stefen and I were just about to sit down and eat."

"That would be great!" exclaimed Ashlyn.

"Actually, since you have company now, Adam," replied Stefen, "I think I'll go inside and figure out how we're going to get out tonight and where we're going. See you soon."

As Adam waved good-bye to his uncle, Ashley wrapped her arm around his and asked, "So, you two are going out again tonight?"

"Yes," answered Adam, as he gestured for everyone to follow him. "I think Uncle Stefen plans on showing me all the sights in Eternos while he's in town."

Ashlyn bumped her hip into the prince's and whispered, "We could do that, as well, you know."

Adam grinned and mumbled, "I have no doubt."

As they all sat down around the table, a person from the kitchen staff came out with three plates. When he sat two on the table and one on the ground in front of Cringer, Adam asked, "Would it be too much trouble to get three more plates for my friends?"

"None, sir. Chef Alan made extra for anyone who asked. I'll be right back," the server said and immediately scurried inside.

Before Adam could offer the plates to anyone while he waited for the rest to come, he noticed several people stepping out of the palace as the server went in. He swallowed nervously as he recognized them instantly: it was his father, his mother, and Man-at-Arms.

=)=)=)

Queen Marlena wasn't happy to discover that Adam wasn't in his bedchambers. She was even more upset when they had all bumped into King Stefen in the hall and he had revealed that Adam was outside eating lunch. She wondered what her son was thinking! He had been ill that very morning and now he was gallivanting outside and possibly making his condition worse.

It was a big deal to everyone when Adam and she got sick. Even though she was confident in her abilities to take care of herself and Adam, she felt the same way as her husband and the Eternian doctors. On Earth, stomachaches and headaches were never that big of a deal to handle. She could jump in her car, go to the supermarket, and pick up some over-the-counter medication. In a few hours—unless it was a particularly bad infection—she'd be as good as new. And, if it were a bad infection, well, a quick trip to the doctor's office would provide her with antibiotics to help her on her way to recovery.

Things definitely weren't like that on Eternia. The doctors here weren't prepared to handle many of the illnesses Earthlings could get. Her solace had always laid in the fact that on Eternia, Adam wouldn't be exposed to the same bacteria and other things that would have made him ill on Earth. But today had reminded her that Adam was very much capable of getting Eternian illnesses and that not everything that they gave Eternians was suitable for him or her. They had learned that the hard way over the years when Adam and she were younger.

She remembered the first time she had gotten a sinus infection on Eternia. They had given her their usual medication and she had ended up feeling worse than she would have if she had left it alone. The Royal Physicians did have years of research spent analyzing Adam and Marlena during their annual physicals. They did want to be prepared just in case something happened to their queen and future king, and so far, they had been lucky.

Today scared her because Adam had never really been ill in the past. Sure, he made himself sick a couple of times when he overate as a child. He even got sinus infections every now and then, but other than that, he had always been healthy. She didn't know what had happened to make Adam feel so horribly that morning which was why she wanted to talk to him about it.

As Man-at-Arms held the door open and a member of the kitchen staff slipped by them, she and her husband stepped into the courtyard and paused. She noticed Adam sitting at a picnic table with a group of people she had never seen before: three guys and one girl. From their attire, which was discolored and very tight, she could tell they didn't live in the palace and that immediately confused her. Where had Adam met these people?

She turned to Man-at-Arms and her husband to ask that very question when she noticed that both of them were looking at the group unfavorably.

"What kind of riffraff is this? Who are they and why are they with my son?" asked Randor, who seemed more than a little surprised by his son's companions.

Man-at-Arms shook his head and replied, "I have no idea, sire." He also didn't like the look of the group. They were clearly commoners, and while he had no problem with that considering that he was technically one as well, he had a sneaking suspicion that this was the group who had been smoking around Adam last night. He could see the men's faces, and their droopy eyes and unkempt hair bespoke of the mischief they had previously been occupied doing. What were they doing here?

Man-at-Arms went to the table without any orders from the king and looked at Adam questioningly. Queen Marlena and King Randor were right behind him.


	8. The Prince Rises

Against Nature Chapter 8

Adam didn’t know why he hadn’t thought about this possibility before. Clearly, the alcohol was still affecting his cognitive skills or he simply wasn’t thinking at all, because he hadn’t realized until that very moment that by inviting his new friends within the palace walls, he was taking the risk of his parents meeting them. That meant they might find out about his night trip to Madelia. And, as much as he wanted to turn to his new acquaintances to ask them not to say anything about last night, he knew he couldn’t do it. He hated lying to his parents about He-Man and he didn’t want to willingly lie about anything else. Of course, he wasn’t going to volunteer the information either, but if someone unwittingly let the cat out of the bag, he wouldn’t deny it.

Taking a deep breath to prepare himself as Man-at-Arms finally reached him, Adam met his mentor’s stare. 

“Prince Adam,” greeted Duncan. “I see that you’re feeling much better now.”

Adam bit his lip a little as his parents reached them and stood beside Duncan. “Yes,” he mumbled, looking down at his plate. “That’s why I decided to come outside and enjoy the rest of the day.”

Before Man-at-Arms could respond, King Randor moved closer to Adam’s side and asked abruptly, “Who are these people with you, son?”

Adam looked up from his plate and turned his attention to his father for a moment. He wasn’t quite sure but he thought he heard a reprimand hidden within the king’s voice, but he had no idea why it would be there. He knew they didn’t know about his outing. After all, he doubted his father would be as calm as he was right now if he had. Deciding to take King Randor’s words at face value, he motioned to Ashlyn beside him and said, “This is Lady Ashlyn.” He then pointed to the people seated across from him and stated, “And, this is her brother Daniel and their friends Rob and Phil.”

Man-at-Arms and King Randor raised their eyebrows at Adam’s introduction of the individuals. He sounded very formal, and Randor was surprised. While the king had never raised his son to be arrogant or snobbish, he knew this Ashlyn wasn’t nobility and had probably never been called “Lady Ashlyn” in her life—the shock on the visitors’ faces told him that much. Despite all the questions he now had, he knew he couldn’t be rude. After all, these people were obviously Adam’s guests and it would be in poor taste to start an inquisition right in front of them. “Pleased to meet all of you,” he said in the most welcoming voice he could manage. “I’m King Randor, and this is Queen Marlena and our man-at-arms, Duncan.”

Not knowing what the protocol was for meeting royalty and officers and wanting to make a good impression for the king and queen, Ashlyn nodded to them briefly and replied, “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.” She glanced at Adam’s face nervously and Adam smiled briefly, so she assumed her response was fine.

At that moment, Queen Marlena stepped behind Adam and rested her hands lightly on his shoulders. “Can I speak with you for a moment privately, Adam?” she asked, softly.

The prince briefly glanced at his mother and then looked to his friends. It was clear that he didn’t want to leave them unattended, which would have been rude, so she clarified, “I only want to sit at the next picnic table and discuss something briefly.”

“Yes, and I will join you,” insisted the king. He then turned to Duncan and commanded, “Man-at-Arms, you will stay with Adam’s guests until he gets back.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” acquiesced Duncan with a bow.

=)=)=)

Adam rose from the table and followed his parents to the next picnic table which was maybe a good thirty feet away. He didn’t know if the distance was a good or bad thing—it meant his guests wouldn’t be able to hear what they were discussing, so his parents could discuss anything with no reason to stop.

As Adam sat down at the picnic table with his mother at his side and the king across from him, he asked, “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Where do I begin?” asked Randor but he immediately hushed when he noticed the look Marlena had settled on him—she had furrowed her brow and pursed her lips. He knew what that look meant. She wanted to discuss his bout with illness that morning and wouldn’t be sidetracked by anything else.

He watched as his wife grabbed Adam’s hand and asked resolvedly, “I want to know what happened this morning, Why were you so ill?”

Adam didn’t want to lie, so he decided to be as truthful as he could. “I’m not sure. It could have been any number of things. It could have been something I drank or ate…or something else. I don’t know.”

“It just hit you all of a sudden?”

With a nod, Adam explained, “I was fine until I entered the palace. Maybe the fresh air outside was helping whatever it was. Anyway, I was disoriented and my stomach was a little queasy. I felt a little better after I…” He paused and looked at the king briefly. He knew his father didn’t like when he got sick as he did.

Marlena nodded and brushed her finger across his chin to get him to look back at her. “It sounds like you might have picked up some kind of bug from someone.” She glanced at the people at the other picnic table. “Who were you with yesterday and today?”

With a sigh, Adam named, “You, Father, Duncan, Teela, Uncle Stefen, Orko, and Cringer, among all of the other people at court.”

Randor tapped his fingers restlessly on the table and said, “Did you forget to mention your friends over there? Did you see them before you got sick?”

Adam looked at his friends and debated whether he should lie or not. When he opened his mouth to speak, the king interrupted by stating, “Think about it before you say whatever answer you just came up with.”

More than a little startled, Adam exclaimed, “What?”

Randor smirked a little and said, “Son, I know you and ever since you were a kid, you’ve been a terrible liar. It’s always written on your face, so I know you try to avoid it all together…but just now, I could tell you were going to try it.”

Ashamed, Adam looked down at his hands which were resting on the table. “Yes, I saw them, as well,” he mumbled.

Randor nodded and asked, “Why were you going to lie about it?”

At that moment, Adam fell back on his usual tactics when handling questions that dealt with his actions as He-Man. He mumbled incoherently and shrugged. He offered no real explanation.

Marlena and Randor looked at each other briefly at this and Randor decided to use another tactic. “Where did you see them? And, where in the world did you meet them?”

=)=)=)

King Stefen stepped back into the courtyard and was surprised to find Man-at-Arms with Adam’s friends and the prince with his parents. He knew instantly that this could be very bad. 

At that moment, Man-at-Arms lifted his head and grinned smugly at him. He then glanced over to where Adam sat. Stefen immediately began to grind his teeth together: he knew the soldier was getting back at him for putting him in the hot seat with that look. Evidently, Duncan found all of this amusing. Instead of letting it bother him any further, he strolled over to his family in time to hear Randor’s latest question.

Instantly, Stefen supplied Adam with an answer. “He met them with me this morning. Adam had been showing me the grounds and then we walked around Eternos for a little while.” At King Randor’s startled look, the Dyperian king clarified, “We just walked a street or two and came right back. We met them at that time and started a conversation. Your son is very friendly and inviting to strangers. He reminds me a lot of you.”

=)=)=)

Duncan stared at the people sitting at the table and joined them as Adam and his parents walked away. “How are you?” he asked in greeting.

“Fine,” all four of them answered simultaneously.

He glanced over to where Adam sat for a brief moment and then returned his attention to the individuals he sat with. He decided to be honest and get straight to the point. “I think I know who you are,” said Man-at-Arms firmly.

Ashlyn glanced at her brother nervously for a second and then asked, “What do you mean?”

Duncan turned to stare at her directly and answered, “You are the ones Adam met at Madelia last night. You’re the ones who made him ill.”

Everyone at the table gasped except for Phil. “We did nothing of the sort,” he stated insistently. “Yes, we met Adam at Madelia, but we did not force him to drink with us. And, he could have gotten up and left at any time if he didn’t like us smoking. He chose to stay with us so you have no right to accuse us of anything.”

Man-at-Arms glared at the man and said in the voice he used to reprimand Adam and Teela, “You are not unintelligent. I can see that by looking at all of you, and we all know that you knew who Adam was. You knew you shouldn’t have been drinking or smoking narcotics around him, but you did it anyway…and I’m not sure why. Whatever the reason, it wasn’t a good one. Adam is younger than all of you but not by much; regardless, you should have had the common sense and decency not to put him in that situation.”

Phil looked at the others for help but when he saw that he wasn’t getting it, he looked back at Duncan and spat, “We didn’t put him in that situation. If you want to know who did, talk to King Stefen over there. He’s the one who took Adam to Madelia and he’s the one who left him on his own. He was nowhere to be found when we met Adam.”

Duncan raised his eyes in surprise at Phil’s revelation at the same moment he saw Stefen walk into the courtyard. He couldn’t help his reaction—he smiled at the man. If Adam’s whereabouts last night were discovered right now by Randor, he knew the individuals at this table would throw the Dyperian king to the wolfbats. And, even if Adam was able to fend off his parents’ questions, Phil just gave him the ammunition he needed to keep Adam away from King Stefen. He would question Adam about what had happened at Madelia, finally get some answers, and show him how irresponsible his uncle was last night. Adam could not deny that his uncle should have stayed with him the entire time. “Where did he go at that time, anyway?” he thought suspiciously. “What was more important than protecting his nephew at that time?”

=)=)=)

Prince Adam smiled at his uncle gratefully as they walked back to his original table. King Stefen had saved him because he hadn’t known what in the world to say in response to his father’s question. The king had just caught him in a lie, so he had known he couldn’t try that again, and if he had told him the truth, he’d probably be locked up in his bedchambers for the next week at least.

Sighing appreciatively this time, Adam leaned into his uncle and whispered, “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” the king replied as they got to the table. He glanced at everyone there and said to them, “Hello, again. I hope our man-at-arms entertained you while Adam spoke with his parents.”

Phil stood and spat, “I think you should get better help!” He stormed away and immediately the others sprang to their feet. Daniel and Rob went after him.

Adam widened his eyes, not knowing what to think about Phil’s words and actions. Ashlyn walked over to him. “I’m so sorry about that. Your…man-at-arms, or whatever he is, knows about your trip to Madelia and he was giving us a pretty hard time about the condition you came home in. Phil…well, he didn’t like what was being said.”

Man-at-Arms heard their conversation, so Duncan walked over and said unabashedly, “Well, I didn’t like my prince coming home in such a state, either. So, we’re even.”

“Duncan,” snapped Adam in surprise, “I told you it was my fault!”

Man-at-Arms opened his mouth to reply but stopped when he saw Stefen smiling at him amusedly. The king then pointed, so Duncan turned to see Randor and Marlena walking their way as they talked spiritedly to one another. The Ancients only knew what they were discussing, because he could tell Adam wasn’t in any trouble…yet. He looked back at the prince and said, “We’ll talk about this later. Come see me in my workshop before dinner.”

Man-at-Arms walked off and Adam shivered in response. He had never seen Man-at-Arms so angry before…not even at Skeletor!

Ashlyn followed Duncan with her eyes until he disappeared inside the palace. She turned back to the prince and whispered, “I’m sorry about last night. If you don’t want to see us again, that’s fine. I understand that we made some bad decisions around you. It’s just that…”

Adam shook his head. “I do want to see you again,” he replied. “I’ll talk to Man-at-Arms. Don’t worry about it. He just doesn’t understand.” He looked up to see that his parents had almost reached them and they were looking at him determinedly. He had a feeling he was going to be involved in another inquest for some unknown reason. Turning back to Ashlyn, he added hurriedly so his parents wouldn’t hear, “You, Daniel, Rob, and Phil can come see me anytime you like.”

She nodded, leaned in, and whispered, “And, maybe we’ll see you tonight.”

He grinned instantly and replied, “Yeah, you might.” 

Adam watched as Ashlyn ran after her friends.


	9. Guilty or Not, He's Definitely Not Duncan's King

Against Nature Chapter 9

Adam watched Ashlyn run after her friends with a smile on his face—he almost wanted to run and join her, but his parents were there and he knew they wouldn't allow him to go. It looked like they wanted to talk to him again and he knew they were not above sending the guard after him. To avoid that embarrassing situation, he remained.

As King Stefen walked away seemingly following Man-at-Arms' route, the king and queen walked to Adam. Like him, they turned to watch Ashlyn until she was out of sight. The king then turned to his son and said, "Your mother discussed what was on her mind earlier and I remained quiet because you had guests, but now that they're gone I see no reason why we can't discuss what I have to say now."

Adam forced himself to smile pleasantly despite the fact that he didn't think it would be a pleasant conversation. "I'm all ears, Father."

Randor gestured to the table and said, "Please, I know you haven't eaten all day. Sit and we'll join you."

At that moment, the server came back outside with three new plates of food.

"Perfect," Randor said as he gathered the plates that were already on the table. As the server set the new meals on the table, Randor handed him the old ones.

Adam looked sympathetically at the man who seemed to be a little bewildered at all the food that was going to waste. The plates had hardly been touched, and he could see that the man was about to question whether something was wrong with it. Before he could say anything to reassure the server, his father said, "Thank you for lovely meal."

That seemed to calm whatever fears the man had and with a sigh of relief, he took the dirty dishes and left.

Finally, Adam turned his attention to his food and began to eat. As he was doing this, another server came out with several drinks, and Adam smiled gratefully at him while Randor watched his son for several moments.

After the second server walked away, the king asked abruptly, "Why were those people here?"

Adam looked up from his food and met his father's eyes hesitantly. "Who? Ashlyn and her friends?"

The king nodded. "Yes, they're not the sort of people I'm used to you associating with."

Adam rested his arm on the table as he scrutinized his father for a few seconds. Once again, he thought he heard a veiled reprimand in the king's tone, and he was surprised that it was there. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, finally.

"Just what I said. They're not the kind of people I normally see you socializing with."

Adam frowned and answered, "I'm not sure how to reply to that. They are good people—they're not in league with Skeletor, after all. And, as for them not being the sort of people I usually associate with, nobody is really. I mainly have acquaintances with guards and people that I've met in court, aside from those that I meet when you send me on a mission to a neighboring kingdom." Adam shrugged. "They're citizens of Eternos that I happened to have met—they're around my age and nice as far as I can tell. I don't see a reason why I can't socialize with them…do you?"

The King of Eternia sighed because he knew he would appear to be a little ridiculous if he voiced his real concerns about these individuals. "No, there isn't a reason why you can't," he replied, knowing it was the truth. Ashlyn and her friends hadn't done anything wrong that he was aware of, and if he forbade Adam from seeing them, he wouldn't have a reason to justify why. "I just want you to be careful, Adam. I don't know these people and you don't, either."

Adam nodded and agreed, "I will, Father."

King Randor and Queen Marlena watched their son as they continued to eat their meals and discuss other topics. Regardless of what he had said to Adam, Randor didn't like the looks of his son's "new friends." He had seen this type before when he used to go out with Stefen when they were younger. They looked like the partying type: the ones that stayed out all night, got drunk, and possibly used drugs. He didn't trust them. He pondered what he could do to find out who these people really were since it seemed like Adam was going to continue to socialize with them.

=)=)=)

King Stefen followed Man-at-Arms into his workshop. The soldier had asked Adam to meet him there before dinner, so Stefen was determined to speak with him before that meeting.

He entered the workshop in time to see Man-at-Arms slinging tools into a toolbox uncaringly.

"What did those items ever do to you?" questioned the king, shutting the door and moving to the table where Duncan stood glaring at him unwelcomingly.

"What are you doing in here? This is my private workshop," stated Man-at-Arms with a little hostility.

Stefen pulled a chair out from under the table and sat down. "I want to talk about Adam," he explained. "I think you and I got off on the wrong foot, and I'd like to find a way to fix that for Adam's sake."

Man-at-Arms slammed the lid of his toolbox down loudly, but it was the only outward sign that he was seething. Instead, Duncan looked at the king calmly and after a few brief seconds of what Stefen assumed was time to take a calming breath, he questioned, "For Adam's sake? What happens between you and I has no bearing on Adam."

The king smirked at him. "But, of course, it does! I know Adam respects you a great deal. He cares about what you think, and well, I don't want there to be a problem where Adam thinks he has to choose between you and me."

Man-at-Arms pulled out a chair and sat down across from Stefen. "Why? Because you already know where he'll side?" he asked, purposely emotionless.

Stefen shook his head. "Actually, I think Adam would side with me. The boy and I get along remarkably well, and it seems to me that I give him more liberties than his father and you do. It puts me in a more favorable position."

"So you think," snapped Duncan, angrily, "but Adam is an amazing young man, unlike anyone you have ever met! I have watched him grow up into the man he is today while you stayed in Dyperia and only contacted your brother when you needed something. So, don't act like you're so concerned for Adam now. He doesn't need it. He is incredibly mature for his age, and he's not accustomed to acting reckless and getting into trouble like you. He's a good lad, and he's not going to let you change that in him. And, I won't either."

"Do you think I want to? I wouldn't change Adam for all of Eternia!"

"It sure seems like you're trying to me!"

Stefen sighed and shook his head slowly. "No, I'm not. The boy wants to live a little and I'm letting him. What's wrong with that?"

Duncan frowned at the king and said, "Maybe I wouldn't have such a problem if he had a better overseer."

Stefen stood up quickly which caused the chair to fall back with a loud slap onto the floor. "What is your problem?" he yelled. "I came in here to call a truce and to discuss this as two mature adults, but what do I get? A subordinate not knowing his place and being very obtuse. I do not take kindly to it."

Duncan stood up with a cocked brow and said icily, "You're not my king." After a moment of intense staring, Man-at-Arms added, "You left Adam on his own. One of those boys told me that you were nowhere to be found when they met Adam. Where were you while he was being subjected to drugs and alcohol?"

"I don't answer to you," growled the king, getting angrier with each passing moment.

"And, that's precisely why we're at an impasse," stated Duncan firmly. "Too many secrets."

"You're a fine one to be talking, Duncan," quipped Stefen, sneering Man-at-Arms' name.

For a brief moment, Duncan hesitated and inwardly flinched. He tried not to give any outward indication that the words affected him, but he could tell by looking at the king's sudden smirk that Stefen saw it. "This discussion is over," he decided. "Please leave my workshop."

The king glared at Man-at-Arms for several long moments. Finally, he nodded and said calmly, "I will leave, but I want you to know this: this is the absolute last time that you tell me to do anything. I promise you that." Stefen then turned abruptly and left the room.

=)=)=)

Adam bounced from one foot to the other as he waited outside Man-at-Arms' workshop. He was nervous. For all the years he had known Duncan—which had been Adam's entire life—he had never locked his workshop, even when he wasn't in the room…even when they were discussing He-Man! He couldn't help but wonder what had happened. Was something wrong?

But as the door opened, the prince knew he would get all of those answers and then some. The look on Duncan's face told him he was in for a very long lecture. He sighed and stepped inside.

Man-at-Arms was the first one to speak: "I'm glad you came so early. I didn't know how much time I'd have before dinner to talk to you."

Adam followed Duncan to a table in the center of the room. He gestured to a chair before sitting in one right beside it.

"You asked me to come," replied Adam softly, "so I knew you had something important to discuss."

Duncan nodded and stated cautiously, "I want to talk about your uncle and what happened at Madelia."

Again, the prince sighed. "I thought we already discussed that and put it behind us."

"No, I wanted to have this discussion with a sober and clear-thinking Adam who's not about to fall asleep on me."

With a nod, Adam asked, "So, what do you want to know?"

"First, I have some observations to make before I ask any questions," stated Duncan. When he was sure that he had Adam's complete attention, he continued, "We have always been honest with one another. I'd like to think that there are no secrets between us." He paused and looked at Adam.

"There isn't," he confirmed. "I mean, besides who I've had crushes on when I was growing up and things like that."

Duncan nodded. "And, that's why I'm going to be honest with you right now. Ever since you came home this morning, your uncle and I have not been getting along. We don't see eye-to-eye when it comes to you."

Adam closed his eyes temporarily and shook his head. "I told you it was my fault. You shouldn't take it out on Uncle Stefen."

"He was the adult in charge when he took you out last night. You were his responsibility and he failed to return you to us unscathed."

Once again, Adam found himself shaking his head. "I'm an adult, Man-at-Arms. I make my own decisions: I agreed to go out with Uncle Stefen. I knew we could possibly get into the trouble, but I didn't care at the time. I just…wanted to be normal. I wanted to be someone besides Prince Adam of Eternia and He-Man for once. With Uncle Stefen at Madelia, I could be myself."

Duncan frowned and whispered, "I thought you could be yourself with me."

Adam widened his eyes and rushed to say, "I can! It's just…it's different. You are like a second father to me, and you have certain expectations. Let's face it, you would have never taken me to Madelia, but I can honestly tell you I've learned a lot through that one experience."

Man-at-Arms raised an eyebrow in response. "Oh, really? Like what?"

Adam laughed and exclaimed, "Oh, where do I begin! I discovered that normal, decent guys my age are buying the services of prostitutes." At Duncan's gasp, he quickly clarified, "I saw a guy pay a prostitute on the streets. I didn't…" He blushed and shook his head quickly. "They didn't look like what I expected. They were surprisingly well-dressed and took care of themselves. Of course, the clothes were tight and I did expect that." He shrugged and waited to see what his mentor would say.

"What else did you learn?" was the only reply he received.

"The city is actually busy at night. I had no idea since it's so quiet around the palace. And, then of course, there's Madelia. It's this members-only kind of place. Uncle Stefen did this weird knock on the door to get us inside. It was…an interesting place."

"How so?"

Adam studied Duncan carefully and asked, "Why aren't you yelling or interjecting any thoughts?"

Duncan simply stared back and said, "I want to hear about your experience. Please continue."

Adam wasn't so sure if he should. He couldn't tell what Man-at-Arms was thinking, but he decided he might as well do what he was asked or Duncan might think he had something to hide aside from what was already known. "Madelia was loud with very intense music," he continued. "There was a dance floor, and believe me, they weren't dancing the way we do at balls. The men and women were definitely a lot more…free in their actions. Also, it's a place to buy from the Black Market."

At this, Duncan raised a brow which Adam noticed.

"I saw a guy selling the stuff and when I asked Uncle Stefen what he was doing, he made me promise to stay away from it. So, you see, he warned me."

Not being deterred by Adam's attempts to clear his uncle of any wrong doing, he said, "Keep going."

"Uncle Stefen took me to the bar. I got a sip of some kind of drink—I don't know. I ended up spitting it all over some of the patrons. I've learned to find out what's in glasses before I drink it." Adam laughed a little. "I felt so horribly about spitting on those people and I still do…but it was a little amusing, too."

At Adam's smile, Duncan grinned, as well. He tried to stop himself but couldn't. The boy looked almost comical as he tried to not look so happy about it.

"It was shortly after that moment that I met Ashlyn and the others. Uncle Stefen had left with someone and suggested that I mingle with the younger crowd. They helped me pass the time. They talked about their families and what they liked to do for fun. I mainly just listened and joined them when they drank. I wasn't paying much attention to how much I consumed, so once again, that was my fault." He shrugged again. "So, that was my night in one big nutshell."

It was obvious to Duncan that despite his coming home intoxicated, Adam had a great time in his own opinion. With a sigh, he asked, "Do you recognize that your uncle shouldn't have left you alone in that place? There's no telling what could have happened to you."

Adam smiled slightly. It was a mere upturn of the lips as he whispered, "But Duncan, you do know who I am. If there were any real trouble, I could have handled it."

"There are certain kinds of trouble that He-Man can't fix."

Adam nodded and replied, "But I've learned from my mistakes. I promise, Duncan, what happened last night won't happen again."

Man-at-Arms nodded and said, "That's good to know, Adam, but that doesn't make everything all right. Whether you like it or not, you should be held responsible for your actions…and your uncle should be, too."

Adam nodded reluctantly and asked, "What did you have in mind?"

"Lots and lots of work," he replied. "You're with me when you're not tending to your other duties."

"Yes, sir," agreed the prince. "And, what about Uncle Stefen? There isn't much you can do to a king. Besides, it really wasn't his fault."

Man-at-Arms flashed the prince a look of annoyance. "You're not doing him any favors by taking all the blame, Adam. Believe me; I get a little angrier each time you say it because I know you actually believe it."

Adam looked a little surprised then. But he quickly forgot about it when Man-at-Arms handed him the toolbox and led him to a broken down Windraider.

=)=)=)

King Randor and Queen Marlena walked into their bedroom after walking King Stefen to his. Dinner had been enjoyable that evening, and Adam had seemed to be feeling much better after his bout with illness. The only things that had the king on edge now concerned Adam.

While Randor knew that most people in Eternos were truly good people and he would never suggest to Adam to treat anyone as if they were inferior to him, he couldn't help but be alarmed with this new group of friends. They looked like partiers and even smelt of it. He hadn't said anything to Adam because he wasn't sure, but he thought he smelled some illegal substances during their brief encounter. As he thought about it now, he knew it was far likely that he was right. What he needed was definitive proof to show to Adam that this was not the kind of people he should make friends with.

Randor paused in his thoughts when he felt the slight hand of his wife touching his forearm.

"Randor," she questioned, "what's wrong?"

"I'm worried," he admitted.

Marlena immediately embraced her husband and squeezed tightly. "About what?"

"A lot of things actually," he answered. He pulled back a little so he could look into her eyes as he spoke. "Most of it concerns Adam." As Marlena's look of concern deepened with the droop of her eyes, he continued, "First of all, Duncan and Stefen are pretty much at war over him."

"What do you mean?"

"Duncan is feeling a little…threatened by Stefen. You've seen how close Adam and he have gotten over the last couple of years. Well, Stefen has taken an interest in Adam—you saw how he continuously offered to help and look after Adam when he was sick. Duncan wasn't happy. Adam is like a son to him and he sees that Stefen could potentially pull Adam away from him."

"Something you recognize all too well," the queen whispered.

Randor nodded. "Yes, I do understand the fear, and Duncan and I actually talked about that this afternoon, but I don't think it did a lot of good. Surely, you saw the glares they were shooting one another across the table during dinner. Neither wanted the other to speak. It is most troubling."

Slipping her hand into his, Marlena pulled Randor to the nearby bed and sat him down. She stood in front of him between his legs, took the crown off his head, and ran her fingers soothingly through his hair. "I wouldn't let it trouble you so, Randor. Stefen will be back in Dyperia soon and Duncan doesn't have to socialize with him."

Randor placed his hands on his wife's hips and acknowledged, "You are right, my dear, but Duncan is my best friend aside from you, and Stefen is my brother. I would like it very much if they got along."

"We can't always have what we want," she replied. At Randor's annoyed look, she exclaimed, "I don't mean to sound preachy but it's true! They're both grown men and it's up to them whether they want to put that pettiness aside. I commend you for your efforts when you felt more than a little jealous about Duncan's relationship with Adam, but I have to remind you that not everyone is you. I knew long ago that by far I married the best brother of the bunch." She winked at her husband and Randor immediately grinned.

He pulled Marlena onto his lap and kissed her chastely. His lips lingered over hers for a moment before he pulled back and continued to speak of his troubles. "As always, you're right again, my queen. Maybe I shouldn't worry so much, but that still leaves the situation with Adam's new friends."

Marlena sighed and stated, "I knew we would get around to that eventually."

Randor couldn't tell what his wife's thoughts were on the matter. She simply stared at him, waiting for him to tell her what was troubling him. "They're not the sort I want Adam associating with," he said decisively. "I'm pretty sure I smelled alcohol, among other things, on them. And, did you see how wrinkled their clothes were? They also looked very tired. I'm willing to bet they were out all night doing only the Ancients know what and I do not want Adam involved in that."

"Randor, we don't know that for sure," whispered Marlena. "Besides, do you really want to start forbidding our son to be friends with certain people? We didn't do that when he was a child, so we can't very well start doing that now."

"I know," he replied exasperatedly. "But maybe I could learn more about these people. It would definitely solve the problem either way. I truly do hope my suspicions prove false, but I don't think that will be the case."

Marlena leaned forward and brushed her nose against his playfully several times. "Then send some discreet men to the streets to find out what they can about them. At least we'll know for certain without speculating."

Randor smiled and said proudly, "That's precisely what I was thinking. What you say is right: great minds do think a like."

Marlena smirked and said, "Nope, I think I'm just rubbing off on you."

The king's jaw immediately dropped at the comment, but after a moment, he laughed and exclaimed, "We'll just see about that!" He stood abruptly, and Marlena squealed as he picked her up in the process and suddenly tossed her on the bed. Instantly, Randor was over her, tickling her feverishly.

After Marlena thrashed on the bed for several minutes, imploring her husband to stop, he did and stated, "I need to go speak with my sentinels. They'll be able to find out who they really are."

=)=)=)

Prince Adam sat on his bed and waited for the inevitable knock. He knew King Stefen would make his appearance soon so they could sneak out of the palace again. He was shocked to find that he was more nervous and anxious on this occasion than he had been on the last. He supposed that was thanks to Man-at-Arms—he knew Duncan would be upset if he knew about their plans. That was almost enough to stop him from going, but he remembered he had told Ashlyn of his plans, and he had a feeling she would be looking for him tonight.

He certainly did enjoy hanging out with Ashlyn, Daniel, and Rob. He wasn't quite so sure about Phil, yet. He had a feeling the latter didn't exactly enjoy his company either; regardless, they made him feel like an average person. They knew he was a prince, but they didn't treat him like most others would. Most would either stay away from him in fear that they would upset him or they would basically fawn all over him so they could get into his good graces. When that had happened in the past, he knew those individuals had merely hoped to gain something from the friendship, so he made it a point to respectfully avoid establishing anything other than the casual acquaintance with them.

It certainly limited the number and variety of close friends that he had. While he enjoyed his friends who were guards and people of nobility, he wanted some who truly wanted to have fun and weren't so concerned about their reputations. While he knew he had to be concerned about his since he was the Crown Prince, he was of the opinion that people in the aristocracy—aside from him and his parents—took it a little too far…

Adam's thoughts were interrupted finally by the sounds of someone knocking on his door lightly. He opened it and King Stefen hurriedly walked inside. "Are you ready?" he asked with a smile.


	10. Busted

Against Nature Chapter 10

King Randor stood in the corridor that led from the Royal Wing to the main hall. His sentinels stood in front of him, listening intently to their new mission and they seemed eager to get started. He couldn't blame them—it was rare that their services were needed. Even when someone sinister had managed to get inside the palace, Teela had been quick to arrive with the other soldiers, and He-Man had usually shown up, as well. But he supposed that meant they would be very thorough with this assignment. He was grateful for that.

"That's why I need you to find out who these people are," continued Randor, telling them of the things that occurred and what his concerns were. "There is not a lot of information I can provide to assist you. I know their names: Ashlyn, Daniel—they are siblings—and Rob and Phil. I also believe they have a habit of going out at nights to get into a little mischief."

Dion, the guard who had been his sentinel the longest, quickly asked, "Does this mean we have permission to leave the palace tonight to search the streets? It would be easier to locate them at this time than searching the entire populace during the day."

"You do," confirmed Randor. He knew that searching for them at this time would probably mean that his sentinels would catch the group in their act of undesirable conduct. There would be no way for the then known delinquents to lie about their deeds—there would be reliable witnesses.

Both guards immediately glanced at each other briefly and Sean, the other sentinel, exclaimed excitedly, "We will not let you down, my liege!"

"I'm sure you won't. You are dismissed."

Randor quickly turned and went back to his bedchambers. He hoped they found something out soon—the quicker they did, the quicker he could move into action.

=)=)=)

Adam and Stefen walked along their already established route to get outside the palace. They had gotten out on this route easily the last time, so they had no doubt they would do so again. They knew they simply needed to watch out for Teela as she surveyed the grounds before she turned in for the night.

Unfortunately for the two royals, they were unaware that Randor's sentinels had just left the king and turned the corner into the main hall. They saw their prince and his uncle, and they immediately grinned excitedly at one another. Both knew it was uncharacteristic for Prince Adam to be roaming the halls so late, so they knew something was up.

"Perhaps this will be easier than we thought," whispered Dion to his partner as they followed the pair at a distance. "I have a feeling that Prince Adam is going to lead us right to our targets…and if he does, I think King Stefen and he are going to have a lot of things to explain to King Randor."

=)=)=)

Adam stepped outside the palace ground walls, and like last time, they ran down the nearest street to get out of sight of the palace. They hadn't walked ten feet and already the prince heard his name being called. King Stefen flinched because he was sure they were busted, but Adam recognized the voice. Before even turning around, he called out, smiling, "Ashlyn! What are you doing here?"

Adam and Stefen turned around to see Ashlyn and Daniel jogging towards them. As Adam watched their progress, he thought he saw two figures step around the corner of the street in the shadows, but they had vanished as quickly as they had appeared. He got a funny feeling and started to walk in that direction to check it out.

Ashlyn caught his wrist as he started to walk away and said, "Hey, Adam, where are you going? Aren't you happy to see us?"

He looked at her and nodded with a genuine smile. "Yes, I am. It's just that I thought I saw someone. I…I want to make sure nothing's going on."

Ashlyn wrapped her arm around his and walked with him to the corner of the street as Daniel and Stefen followed behind. "Are we a little paranoid today, Your Highness? I didn't see anyone," she replied laughingly.

Adam looked around the corner and didn't see anyone. He looked down the street in both directions and saw nothing out of place.

"See!" Ashlyn cried, hopping in front of him. "You're just nervous to be out on the streets again, looking for trouble."

Instantly, Adam grinned at her. "I'm definitely not looking for trouble."

Ashlyn looked down at herself before she looked up at him again. She wasn't wearing anything like the outfit she had on last night. No, this time she was in a tight, black dress that showed off her curves and Adam couldn't help but notice it as she replied, "Well, that's unfortunate because trouble…" She rested a hand on his forearm, "…has found you!" She wiggled her brows at him.

Adam's immediate response was to widen his eyes and his eyebrows almost met his hairline under his bangs.

Ashlyn laughed hysterically and exclaimed, "Oh, I'm just kidding! Loosen up!" She grabbed his right shoulder and pushed and pulled it back and forth continuously for several seconds.

Adam smiled as he lowered his brow and said, "I'm fine. I'm…loose, I guess. It's just that you never cease to surprise me."

She immediately started pulling him back down the street and asked, "What do you mean? How am I surprising you?"

He shrugged, glanced at her as they continued to walk, and answered, "You don't treat me like royalty."

Suddenly horrified, Ashlyn cried, "Oh, Ancients! Prince Adam!" She pulled away from him hastily, stood still, and dropped her eyes. "I didn't mean to offend you, Your Highness! I apologize and I will not treat you in such…"

Adam quickly brought his hand to her face and made her look up at him. She looked suddenly pale and he could tell she was actually scared that she had done something wrong. "No! That's not what I meant," he clarified; "I like that you treat me like I'm a normal citizen of Eternos. Don't you dare change!"

Relief flooded Ashlyn as she let the air out of her lungs slowly. She moved towards the prince and hugged him quickly. "Thank the Ancients," she said calmly. "My heart jumped into my throat."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Ashlyn wrapped her arm around his again and assured him, "That's okay. I shouldn't have been so jumpy."

"There is always that when it comes to being royalty. Even you get upset if you think I am," observed the prince.

She squeezed his arm, bumped her hip into the side of his as they walked and quipped, "It's not because you're the prince, you know." At Adam's questioning glance, she continued, "If I'd upset any hot guy with my actions, I would have been upset. You're no different still, believe me."

Adam didn't know how to feel about her words. He blushed and he was suddenly glad it was nighttime. He knew he had to be scarlet red and it showed up well on his fair complexion. But he also knew the sudden heat that overwhelmed him wasn't really from embarrassment. He knew she had shared those words to tell him that he was still being treated like an average guy and Ashlyn was so playful that he knew she was probably teasing him again…but he had a suspicion that the words also held a little truth in them. He saw the way that Ashlyn looked at him, and they had taken to each other right away. He knew she had to find him attractive or at least alluring since she was obviously making such an effort to see and tease him constantly. He forced himself to smile as he quickly searched his brain for a response. A joke was not forthcoming and he knew anything else that he could say would probably be turned into an acceptance or rebuttal of her if she really did mean her words. He didn't want to do either right now while they were building a friendship. Both options would make things awkward.

Deciding to treat it like a normal discussion, he replied cautiously, "Well, I'm glad I'm fitting in with everyone then." He smiled at her and thought he noticed a flash of disappointment in her eyes before it disappeared.

Adam looked away abruptly and turned to look at his uncle who was grinning good-naturedly at him. "Where are we going?" he asked, noticing that they were walking and he had no idea where their destination was.

"I don't know," he answered. "You two took off, so I've been listening and following you."

Ashlyn stopped and glanced back at her brother briefly to see his reaction. He seemed surprised. "I'm sorry again," she said with a shake of her head. "I thought you were going back to Madelia tonight. Phil and Rob are already there waiting for us with a table. It's busy tonight, so I thought we'd meet you outside the palace so you wouldn't get lost in the crowd there and never find us."

Adam looked to his uncle and said, "Going back to Madelia is fine with me. How about with you, Uncle Stefen?"

"It's fine with me," the king replied, "as long as we don't leave in the same state that we did this morning."

"I promise," agreed Adam. He looked down at Ashlyn and said, "So, Madelia it is, my lady."

Ashlyn grinned gleefully as she dropped her arm from his, took his hand, and pulled him along quickly.

=)=)=)

The two sentinels watched in surprise as the lady led the prince and King Stefen to what looked like an abandoned warehouse. They watched as she knocked on the door. From the distance, it looked like she was beating a specific pattern, and Dion remembered it and stored it away to share with the king. As the door to the warehouse opened, the guards watched in shock as music and lights disturbed the otherwise peaceful night.

When the door was shut and all was silent again, Sean asked, "Should we go inside to see what's going on?"

Dion shook his head and said insistently, "No, I have a feeling we need to tell the king and Man-at-Arms immediately. I think we've found the underground club they've wanted to locate. They're not going to be happy that Prince Adam is there, especially if we allowed it to continue.

The sentinels immediately turned around and ran back to the palace as quickly as they could.

=)=)=)

Prince Adam settled at the table with Phil and Rob as Ashlyn sat down beside him exuberantly. They were back at the same table they had been at the night before in the exact same seats. "Is this going to become the usual hangout spot?" he joked.

Ashlyn reached over, pushed on him playfully, and answered, "You better believe it."

As Adam smiled, he looked up at King Stefen to see if he would join them and he immediately noticed the king shaking his head. "I'm going down below to socialize with the lady I met yesterday. I see her," he said over the music. "Is that okay?"

"That's fine," replied Adam.

As King Stefen walked away, Phil watched him and eventually turned to Adam to say, "We're not going to get blamed for something else now that you're back again, are we?"

"Phil!" exclaimed Ashlyn, Daniel, and Rob.

Phil merely shrugged and folded his arms in front of him.

Adam narrowed his eyes and replied, "You haven't been blamed for anything. I've spoken with Man-at-Arms. He now knows that everything that happened last night was my fault. I promise you are not held responsible for my actions."

"Good to know," he said snappishly and turned his gaze.

Immediately, Adam glanced at Ashlyn, leaned in, and whispered, "Perhaps I should go. I don't want to mess up your evening with your friends." He got up to leave, but she stood with him.

"Please don't go," she cried. "Phil is naturally a jerk. You just have to get to know him. He's just embarrassed about this morning. He's been taking it out on all of us all day."

Adam was about to question Ashlyn on the accuracy of her words when a slow song began playing across the club.

"Adam and I are going to dance," yelled Ashlyn. She obviously wanted to get Adam away from Phil and their current topic. She grabbed Adam's arm and led him downstairs. Once they were there, she held his hand as she guided him to the dance floor. "Since you are a royal, I assume you do know how to dance."

Adam nodded nervously, "Yes, I do, but not the way most people here do."

Ashlyn replied, "It's a slow dance. No way to mess this one up." She started swaying with the music, so Adam followed suit.

At first they had started out dancing as everyone else had. Ashlyn had put her arms around his neck as he placed his hands around her waist. Eventually though, Ashlyn asked Adam how they danced at court and he immediately showed her. Without asking, he pulled her close, wrapped the length of his left arm around her waist, and placed his right hand in hers as they extended their arms. At that point, Adam led her flawlessly into a dance appropriate for a royal ball.

=)=)=)

Sean and Dion stood before their king as he paced in front of them. They had just told their liege what they had seen: Prince Adam and King Stefen had snuck out of the palace and met two individuals who they presumed were Ashlyn and Daniel.

"And, where did they go?" asked Randor as he shook his head angrily.

"We don't know its name, sire, but we believe it's the underground club we have been searching for," answered Dion.

The king immediately widened his eyes and he turned to look at Marlena who was sitting on a nearby couch. "My brother," he said softly but fiercely. He clinched his hands and teeth before he spat, "My brother has not only encouraged my son to socialize with the wrong sort of people but he has also dared to take my son to an illegal club!" His voice got louder with each word he spoke.

"Randor," said Marlena but before she could get another word out, the king turned to the sentinels.

"Go get Man-at-Arms and the Captain," he ordered irately. "I want my son home within the hour. Bring his uncle with him."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" they both cried as they left the room hurriedly.

Randor turned back to Marlena and hissed, "It all makes sense now. Adam was sick this morning because he did something with those…people. Stefen took Adam with him last night to the club. I know he did." He shook his head again and began pacing. "He is gone, Marlena. He's banished. Stefen is going to pack his bags and head back to Dyperia tonight if I don't decide to throw him in the dungeon for endangering the life of the Prince of Eternia first."

"Randor," whispered Marlena as she got up from her seat. "I'm upset, too, but you need to calm down." She stepped in front of him to stop his frantic pace. "You also need to think this through before you make any rash decisions. This is your brother."

"Marlena!" cried Randor, staring at her with wild eyes. "Please tell me you're not okay with Stefen taking our son to an illegal establishment! It is highly inappropriate on so many levels that I'm surprised he actually did it. What was he thinking? What is Adam thinking? He knows better!"

Marlena wrapped her arms around her husband to calm him and said, "Of course, I'm not okay with what Stefen has done, but we need to find out what has happened and hear their side of the story before we banish your brother from the kingdom. He's family, so this is something that will be hard to take back if we do it."

Randor allowed his wife to pull him to the couch and he sat down. When she joined him, he breathed deeply to calm himself and said, "There is no excuse he can give to make this okay."

"I know," she whispered as the door opened abruptly and Man-at-Arms, Teela, and the sentinels ran into the room.

"Randor, what has happened?" cried Duncan worriedly.

Randor stood and looked from Duncan to Teela and back again. "King Stefen of Dyperia has taken Adam to an illegal club in the city. I want you to accompany my sentinels to bring them back to the palace."

Teela widened her eyes and gasped in shock. "Adam is in an illegal club?" she asked disbelievingly. She immediately closed her mouth as she realized now was not the appropriate time for questions. "Yes, Your Majesty" she said before the king could look at her. "We will leave right away."

King Randor nodded and when they all started to leave the room, he called out one more thing:

"By the way, take the guard with you. I want that place shut down immediately.

=)=)=)

Ashlyn was amazed at the ease in which she learned the dances. They had been on the dance floor for several songs and she was enjoying herself immensely. She had never danced this way in her entire life, so she knew Adam was the one who made it possible. He was a great partner…as she knew he would be. At the end, Adam dipped her slightly and the room suddenly erupted into enthusiastic applause.

Adam pulled her up swiftly and let her go. Once again, Adam found himself blushing and he knew the entire room could see it in all its glory. He hadn't realized that the entire establishment had been watching them dance. No one else was currently on the dance floor. Ashlyn seemed a little surprised, as well, but she quickly recovered herself when the crowd began to flock towards them.

"It's Prince Adam!" she heard several girls say excitedly as they approached.

She knew the evening was going to come to an abrupt end if she didn't do something to stop everyone's progress. She didn't want everyone to ruin their night, so she knew she had to do something to send the message that their presence and interference wasn't welcomed right now. Quickly, Ashlyn did something she never thought she'd have the opportunity to do in her life: she grabbed Prince Adam by the neck and kissed him soundly.

She felt him stiffen under her touch. Whether it was from revulsion or surprise, she didn't know, but she kept her lips against his to lengthen the kiss. She knew this would work, especially when Adam relaxed and kissed her back. Both moved their lips slowly across the others'.

The moment ended far too quickly for Ashlyn and happiness for the event couldn't settle in, because Adam suddenly squeezed her tightly and instinctively. "Oh, Ancients! Not her! Not now! Why did she have to see that?" he whispered. She could tell he wasn't happy. She looked up at him worriedly and saw that he was looking a little frantically, and almost a little sadly, to the right of them. She looked over as she heard a woman say sternly, "Adam!"

She groaned as she recognized Man-at-Arms, but she didn't know the red-headed woman beside him. Regardless, she could tell the woman was angry, especially when she walked right in front of them and snapped softly so that the crowd couldn't hear, "The party's over. Your mother and father want to see you."

Ashlyn's jaw dropped as the room became flooded with members of the Royal Guard. She then looked at Adam who looked around the room. Eventually, he settled his gaze on her and said, "I'm sorry" before he followed the woman out of the club.

=)=)=)


	11. Madelia and Ashlyn No More?

Against Nature Chapter 11

Adam buried his head in his hands as he sat in the back of the AttakTrak. When he looked up, he cringed at the sight of the Royal Guard making the patrons of Madelia line up so the guard could get their names as they came out of the club. His face contorted into a look of almost pain when he realized this was his fault. Madelia had existed for years—at the very least since his father's and uncle's early adulthood years—and in the span of two nights, he had managed to bring the club to a screeching halt. He had no doubt it was being shut down and he also had no doubt that some citizens would even be arrested.

At that moment, it seemed like the Elders wanted to confirm his ideas, because several guardsmen suddenly stepped out of the club's entrance with hand-immobilizers on multiple individuals. They were the ones selling on the Black Market, so he knew the arrests were justified by law, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that he had perpetrated a huge offense against the people of Eternos.

He dropped his head and ran his fingers through his hair before burying his face in his hands again. Because he was hunched over, he didn't know anyone was approaching the AttakTrak until the vehicle suddenly opened. Adam looked up to see King Stefen climbing into the back with him as Man-at-Arms watched silently.

Duncan then turned his attention to the prince and said softly, "I'm very disappointed in you."

Adam grimaced and dropped his head again. He felt an arm slip around his shoulders and looked over at his uncle.

"I'm sorry, Adam," whispered Stefen. "I should have never brought you to Madelia in the first place. I shouldn't have even snuck you out of the palace at all. I'm so sorry."

Adam smiled miserably at his uncle, trying to make light of the situation, and started to respond, but Man-at-Arms interjected, "That's enough talk. We can save all of this for the palace in the presence of King Randor. He wants to see you both immediately."

Duncan climbed into the AttakTrak as Teela came out of Madelia. It was then that Adam noticed Ashlyn, Daniel, Rob, and Phil were just now getting in line to have their names recorded.

"Why are we getting their names?" he asked Duncan.

When his mentor stayed silent, the prince sighed. "Are you going to ignore me?" he cried.

He was still answered with silence.

Prince Adam shook his head again and looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry, Man-at-Arms," he mumbled finally. "I didn't drink anything or get near any illegal substances. I danced and talked. That's it. I didn't break any of my promises."

Duncan finally turned around in the front seat and said, "I thought you were going to stay away from this place."

"I never said that," the prince said melancholically.

Duncan turned around and agreed, "No, I suppose you didn't."

Silence enveloped the AttakTrak again, but this time it was interrupted by Teela getting into the vehicle. "Well," she said sarcastically, sitting behind the control panel, "wasn't this a marvelous way to spend my night? I thank you for the opportunity, Adam."

The prince stayed silent. He watched as Ashlyn finally reached the guard taking everyone's names. As soon as she spoke with him, the man gestured that she could go. Immediately, she stepped out of the line and turned towards the AttakTrak. Adam didn't know if she could see him, but she gave a little wave, pointed at her chin, and held it high.

Adam smiled: message received.

=)=)=)

Adam took a deep breath as he stepped out of the AttakTrak and stared at the palace doors. To steal a phrase from his mother, he knew all hell was about to break loose. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that his father was angry. It was the middle of the night and he was awake, waiting for his son to be brought home from an illegal bar. He knew the king was going to be more than angry; he was going to be livid, irate, or enraged…any adjective that took anger to the next level. He wasn't looking forward to dealing with this. The truth was he had never really given his father a reason to be angry at him before, ever. Sure, he disappointed him with his antics to keep his identity as He-Man a secret, but he had never done anything that would make his father ashamed of him. He knew that had probably changed tonight.

But…he was going to take Ashlyn's silent advice. He was going to keep his chin up and his head held high. He went to Madelia willingly, so he was going to take the punishment like a man. His father would have to respect that at least.

Prince Adam followed Man-at-Arms and Teela to the throne room with King Stefen right beside him. The doors were already open so they merely walked into the room. The scene they came upon was one he had never seen before: his mother was sitting on the steps of the throne pleading with his father to sit down. As for his father, he was pacing rapidly back and forth in front of her.

"Your Majesty," Man-at-Arms called out.

Immediately, Randor turned towards them as Marlena stood. The king glared at his brother and took several steps toward him, but the queen quickly grabbed his hand and stopped him. When he looked back at her, she shook her head and motioned towards Man-at-Arms.

"Your report," requested Randor.

Man-at-Arms nodded at Teela and she stepped forward. "Prince Adam and King Stefen were found in a location we now know is called Madelia. It is a club located on the west side of the city in the warehouse district," she answered.

"What were they doing?"

Teela looked at Adam briefly before turning back to the king and replied, "King Stefen was socializing with a woman at the bar while Adam was on the dance floor…kissing an unidentified female at this time."

Randor shifted his eyes to his son and asked, "Who was she?"

Adam didn't hesitate or look down. He faced his father calmly and responded, "Lady Ashlyn."

Randor immediately shook his head at his son disapprovingly, but then he turned his attention to his brother. "And, what about you?" he questioned. "Explain yourself. Why did you take my son to this Madelia? And, what in the world were you doing with some woman in a bar? Does your wife and queen approve of such conduct?"

King Stefen didn't answer. He remained quiet and simply stared at the High King.

Randor turned his back to everyone but spoke with a loud, booming voice. "King Stefen, I hereby banish you from the city of Eternos. You are not allowed to step foot into my kingdom nor go near my son again."

"Father!" cried Prince Adam, shocked to hear the king's words.

"Adam," warned Marlena sharply. The prince grew silent.

The king still faced in the opposite direction and remained quiet for several moments, but when he spoke again, he was calmer. "I want you to pack your bags and head back to Dyperia tonight. I want you gone before morning."

"Brother…" King Stefen finally spoke.

"Do not speak to me!" growled Randor. "I have no desire to hear your excuses or anything else you have to say. For the past twenty years, you have made a habit of not coming to see me or my family. I am merely asking for you to do so again. I don't want you disrupting my life any more than you already have."

King Stefen stared at his brother's back for a few moments and then turned to Adam who looked incredibly upset. Tears seemed to be gathering in the young prince's eyes. "Do not blame yourself, Adam," he said.

Randor immediately spun around and looked at his son. He calmly walked in front of Adam to block Stefen's view of him. The glare he gave Stefen warned that he had better not speak with Adam again.

Stefen looked into his brother's eyes and he saw the pain that Randor was trying to hide. His face was undeniably red, but it wasn't all from anger, even though he knew that was partially the cause. Randor's eyes shimmered brightly and Stefen was sure tears were the culprits. Taking a chance on the knowledge that his brother obviously still cared about him, he said, "Okay, I will go, Randor. But I'm afraid I can't follow your instructions verbatim. I cannot go to Dyperia."

"What?" asked Randor, suddenly confused and curious. "Why ever not?"

"Liana and I are…separated," he answered, looking at everything but Randor. He heard several gasps from everyone but continued. "As you know, the kingdom was her father's, so she is the true heir to the throne there. I came here because I had nowhere else to go and Eternos is the only other place I could ever imagine myself calling home. But don't worry, brother, I will find some place outside your kingdom to settle down and you'll never hear from me again."

King Randor closed his eyes and shook his head slowly several times. When he reopened his eyes, he commanded, "Just go to your bedchambers and stay there for the rest of the night!" More calmly, he added, "I'll…come speak to you in the morning."

Stefen nodded and left the room without looking back.

As for Randor, he followed his brother with his eyes and gestured for Teela and Man-at-Arms to follow him. As soon as he could no longer hear anyone's footsteps retreating down the corridor, he turned to his son.

=)=)=)

"Are you crazy?"

Ashlyn ran through the streets on her way to the Royal Palace. "He's in trouble. I know he is and I'm partly the reason," she explained, looking back at him momentarily.

Daniel continued to follow her and finally grabbed her arms just as the gate to the palace came into view. "They're not going to let you in there!" he exclaimed. "It's the middle of the night, and undoubtedly, he's already speaking with the king. It wouldn't be wise to interrupt them right now. Why don't we let everyone calm down before we try to redeem ourselves for any wrongdoings?"

Tears slipped down Ashlyn's face as she turned into her brother's arms and hugged him.

He held her tightly and whispered, "Ash, I hate that this has happened, but you must realize it was inevitable. He's a prince and…well, he's not meant to, you know, hang out with people like us, especially at this time of night. It was only a matter of time before he got caught. It was fun while it lasted, but things have to go back to the way they're supposed to be."

Ashlyn pulled away from her brother and cried, "What's that supposed to mean? Adam won't stop speaking with us just because this happened!"

Daniel sighed and said forcefully, "I know you like him, Ashlyn. I saw you on the dance floor. You were swept off your feet by a prince like all girls dream about, but it's time to face the facts and get your head out of the clouds. He is royalty and you are one of his subjects. He has plenty of princesses and duchesses after him. Why would ever he settle for anything less?"

Ashlyn looked up at the palace and replied softly, "His father didn't marry royalty. He married someone from another planet."

"So you do want to pursue a relationship with Prince Adam? I'm afraid it's only going to lead to heartache if you do."

"I don't know," she answered, "but I do know that Adam isn't like the rest of them. He's a normal guy who just happens to be a prince, and he likes it that way."

Daniel grabbed Ashlyn's hand and started pulling her towards their home. As they walked, he addressed her last statement. "Unfortunately for Prince Adam, I don't think it matters how he views himself. It's how his father and even his people view him. He doesn't have the luxury of being a normal guy despite what he wants."

Ashlyn didn't agree.

=)=)=)

"What were you thinking?" asked Randor as he stared at his son. He shook his head for what seemed like the millionth time and said, "No, don't answer that! Clearly, you weren't!"

Adam simply stared at his father as the king continued to speak and started to pace again. "I should have trusted my instincts this morning. I should have listened to Man-at-Arms. Ancients, I should have listened to myself from the very beginning! I had a feeling the whole time that something wasn't right!" The king suddenly turned to Adam and inquired, "You were at the club last night, too, weren't you?"

Now that he was given permission to speak, Adam nodded and replied, "Yes, I was."

Randor nodded and went back to pacing. "And, that is where you undoubtedly met those people."

"Yes."

"And, you did something during that time that made you sick. What was it?"

Adam lowered his eyes and answered, "I drank too much alcohol." He wasn't going to add that he might have gotten high. He didn't want to get Ashlyn and the rest in any trouble.

Randor stopped pacing and Marlena gasped. "You know better than that!" she stated firmly.

The prince turned to his mother and said, "I didn't mean to. I didn't realize how much I drank throughout the night."

"Throughout the night?" questioned Randor, realizing in all probability that when he saw his son in the morning, he was just getting to the palace.

Marlena stood up, ignored her husband's question, and went to her son. "You're not supposed to be drinking at all, Adam—you're a minor. And, even more importantly, you shouldn't because your body is like mine. Eternian liquor is much stronger than what Earthlings drink. It affects us more intensely, so you probably didn't have that much to drink at all."

Adam nodded and quickly turned his attention back to his father as he heard the king clear his throat. He was glaring at his son. "I hope you realize how disappointed I am in you, Adam," he said distinctly, annunciating each syllable with precision to show the severity of his words.

Adam started to lower his head, but he remembered Ashlyn's actions outside Madelia and raised it again. "Yes, sir," he replied.

Randor continued, "And, you…" He trailed off with a groan as he thought about what he was going to do to teach his son a lesson.

Marlena quickly jumped in and supplied, "And, you are grounded! Your father and I are going to need a little time to think about what your punishment should be, but until then, you are to go to your room for the rest of the night and then meet us for breakfast in the morning. You're not to go anywhere else! Am I understood?"

"Yes, Mother," he replied.

"Do I need to station a guard at your door to ensure that you will do as I have asked?" she questioned.

"No, ma'am."

Randor stepped in and said, "Actually, I think we should do that anyway. Obviously, our son now has the habit of sneaking out. This is a perfect way to discourage that. Part of your punishment is that you will have a guard with you at all times."

Adam's jaw dropped. "At all times? Father, that's…I don't want a guard with me every moment of the day!" He quickly realized that a constant guard would make his obligations as He-Man a lot harder to do.

"And night," the king clarified. "The guard can wait outside your bedchambers or the lavatory when you're in there, but everywhere else, a guard will be with you."

"Dion," he then said. The sentinel currently stood at the door. He was never too far away during his shift.

"Yes, sire?" he replied, stepping forward.

"You are charged with keeping tabs on Prince Adam until morning." Randor turned back to Adam and addressed him again. "And, in the morning, until I figure out who I will pull for this duty and when, Captain Teela will be with you throughout the day. She is your bodyguard after all."

Adam groaned at the mention of Teela. He didn't know what he was going to say to her after everything she had seen. He wished wholeheartedly that she hadn't seen anything at all.

"And, you're not to see those people anymore either."

Immediately, Adam's eyes shot to his father's. "What?" he gasped, sure he hadn't heard him right.

"You heard me," Randor answered coolly. "I knew I didn't like the looks of them when we met, and I have no doubt they are partially the reason why you snuck out. I bet they even encouraged you to do it. We don't need to invite trouble into our lives, Adam, and that's all they'll bring."

Adam shook his head and complained, "But you don't even know them and they didn't do anything wrong! I'm the one who chose to go out last night! They didn't even know me, then!"

"Do you think that really makes things better, son? The facts are these kids were in Madelia during all hours of the night. I can tell they make a habit out of it. That's not exactly the qualities of fine moral youths."

"But Father, they aren't kids! They're over twenty-one, so they have every right to be out late if they so choose!"

"In an illegal bar?" The king started to look angry again. "They're lucky I'm not arresting them!"

"You'd be arresting hundreds of individuals if you did! A lot of people were there!"

Randor shrugged and quipped, "You act like that's a problem. We have the capacity; it can be done."

Adam's jaw dropped. "Would you arrest me, too?" he asked heatedly. "I was there, and it was my decision to be there! If you arrest them, you would have to do the same to me!"

Randor frowned and said, "Is that what you want your punishment to be?"

Marlena immediately got between them and said, "All right, that's enough, you two. Adam, you know you are the one who brought all of this on yourself, so do not backtalk your father."

"I wasn't…" Adam began.

"I don't want to hear it," she interrupted. "Just go to your room and we'll discuss this in the morning."

"But I don't want you blaming other people for my decisions. It's hardly fair that Ashlyn…"

"Adam. Room. GO!" snapped the queen with eyes that fairly blazed at him as the furrowed her brow.

The prince knew that tone and look—she meant business. He immediately sighed and stomped down the hall without another word.


	12. Truth

Against Nature Chapter 12

King Randor stood between the two rooms with indecision. He had tried to sleep on it, tried to find some kind of resolution to everything he had found out, but it hadn't changed anything: he was still unbelievably angry at his brother, even though there was a smidge of sympathy at the news that he and his wife were separated, and he was extremely disappointed in Adam.

The question he now faced was who he was going to address first and what was he going to say when he did. He had stewed about it all night long—sleep had not been forthcoming. He had tossed and turned with indecision. When it came to Stefen, part of him wanted to stick to his original plans and ban his brother from ever entering his kingdom again. He knew the decision was a little drastic, but he had also known that when he had banished Lady Edwina for her wrongdoings. She had been selfish and uncaring of others. He had done it to teach her a lesson. There was the hope that she would one day look back at her actions and understand why she had been banished. He still hoped that she would one day come to apologize for her conduct. He would open his arms and welcome her back in that very instant. He wouldn't hesitate.

But he found things a little harder with his brother on multiple levels. He loved Stefen. Out of all of his siblings, Stefen had been the one that had impacted his life the most. Yes, some of his impact had been bad, but a lot bad been good, as well. Stefen had always been the one to include him in whatever his siblings had going on. In those days, his other younger siblings had always been slightly fearful of him because he was the future King of Eternia. He had never once snitched on them or betrayed them; nevertheless, they had held the fear that one day he would…but Stefen hadn't. He had included him in almost everything, and even though Stefen was younger, Randor was grateful to his brother for his camaraderie and presence. He supposed that's why he had held more resentment towards Stefen after their father's disappearance. He understood and tolerated his other siblings' silence over the years. That had been nothing new, but when Stefen had done the same, it had hurt. It had been a betrayal, just like taking Adam to Madelia had been a betrayal. Stefen knew he wouldn't like both acts, and yet, he had done it anyway with no real explanation. His brother's actions made it easy for him to be angry…

And, yet, he was extremely sad that his brother was now going through a hard time. He couldn't imagine for one moment being separated from Marlena. He had known when Stefen had shown up without Liana or Dal that something was off, but he would never have imagined the true reason as to why. He knew it was possible that Stefen had been seeking refuge in Madelia—maybe he had been trying to forget what was happening to his marriage, but that didn't excuse his decision to bring Adam along with him.

He had snuck Adam out of the palace, so he had no doubt in his mind that his brother had been aware that he was doing something he shouldn't. There was no denying that…but maybe Stefen hadn't thought things through at the time. He knew if Marlena had left him, he wouldn't have been able to function, much less think. It was possible that his brother had simply wanted to forget in a bottle and Adam sufficed as a companion, a young man who would get into a little trouble with him and get his mind off of things.

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense to Randor. Of course, all of this was mere speculation. He would have to talk to his brother and get his explanations to know for sure.

The king stared at his brother's bedroom door and then turned his head to look at Adam's. Suddenly, he felt a soft hand touch his shoulder. He turned his head a little farther to stare into the beautiful hazel eyes of his wife.

"Go talk to your brother," she whispered as she wove her fingers through his and squeezed his hand gently.

"I have to talk to Adam, too," he said, knowing that his obligations as a father outweighed his obligations as an older brother.

Marlena smiled, stood on her toes, and kissed Randor's lips chastely. "I'll talk to Adam," she replied. "You need to talk to your brother and handle things. Then, we'll get together and decide if you need to have another talk with Adam, but I think it will prove unnecessary."

Randor hugged his wife and squeezed her a little. "I hope so," he whispered.

=)=)=)

After King Randor had knocked on his brother's door and gone inside, the queen made her way to Adam's bedchambers. She nodded at the guard who was stationed at the door and said, "You're relieved of your duties, Dion. Go rest up, and if we need something, we'll contact you."

Dion bowed and replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

As the sentinel walked away, Marlena knocked on the door and entered without waiting for a response. She had expected to see Adam still lying in bed, but what she saw surprised her:

Adam was completely dressed, sitting on his bed with his legs crossed before him. He looked like he had been there for a while whereas Cringer was still sound asleep.

"Good morning, son," she said as she came closer and walked around Cringer. "I hadn't expected you to be up so early. Aren't you usually still asleep at this time?"

Adam shrugged and replied, "Sometimes. It depends on what I have to do that day."

Marlena nodded and sat on the bed near him. "So, what is on the agenda today that has gotten you up so early?" she asked.

"Nothing is on the agenda. The truth is I couldn't sleep—I've been thinking about what happened last night."

Marlena threw a leg on the bed and folded it in front of her as she turned to face Adam a little more. "Your father and I did the same."

Adam turned his head to the door and saw that his mother had shut it. No one else was coming. "Where is Father?" he wondered aloud.

"He's talking to your uncle. Luckily, your father seems a lot calmer today than he had been last night."

Adam frowned and looked down at his lap. "Mom, do you think Father is really going to banish Uncle Stefen? I'll admit we both messed up, but he doesn't deserve all the blame in this. I willingly went along and I was the one who got myself sick. Uncle Stefen is only responsible for taking me there, and that's all."

Marlena grabbed his hand and said, "That might be enough for your father, but to tell the truth, I don't know. It could go either way. I know he loves his brother, Adam, but he loves you, and I know he doesn't want you to have a negative influence in your life."

Adam scooted to the edge of the bed beside his mother, unfolded his legs, and swung them to the floor. "I'm old enough to know what is right and wrong," he stated coolly. "I make my own decisions, so Uncle Stefen's actions never 'influenced' me. I made the choice freely, knowing it was wrong."

Marlena's eyes shot to Adam's. "Then, why did you do it?"

Adam jumped off the bed and turned away from her. "At the time, I didn't know," he admitted calmly, "but now that I've been able to think about it, I realize I do know. When I was a child, I tried to live up to what Father wanted me to be, so I never got in trouble. I studied constantly, I went to court and listened while other kids played outside, and I never did anything to make Father or you ashamed of me. I know in recent years my…drive in those regards have lessened, but the truth is I want to experience what I'm missing out on. You said so yourself the day Uncle Stefen showed up. You said I didn't do what men at my age typically do. I heard you, Father, and Uncle Stefen discussing their behavior when they were younger. Why was it so okay for Father to break the rules when he was younger, but it's so awful when I do it? It's not like I'm running around and producing illegitimate heirs! I'm certainly not getting into fights like Father did during his outings."

Marlena widened her eyes, startled. Evidently, Stefen had told Adam about some of their outings. Randor wasn't going to like that, and he definitely wasn't going to like Adam's position on the issue.

"I went to a bar and made friends with a few Eternos citizens!" continued Adam, not seeing his mother's reaction. "Is it really that big of a deal?"

Marlena sighed heavily, closed her eyes for a moment, and then replied, "Yes, Adam, it is. It would be one thing if that was your only indiscretion, but you also made yourself sick. And, you even went to an illegal establishment! Not only that, you snuck out of the palace to do it. You purposely tried to hide something from your father and me, and King Stefen helped you do it. Your father has every right to be angry."

Adam faced his mother and questioned, "So, if I had come to you and said, 'Hey, I want to go to a bar with Uncle Stefen. Can I go?' you would have been okay with that?"

Marlena pursed her lips for a moment and then answered, "I would have been okay with the question, but I wouldn't have let you go."

Adam then lifted his hands and widened his eyes in a gesture which clearly indicated that her answer was why he hadn't told them in the first place.

The queen stood and walked to her son. She stood face-to-face with him and said firmly, "You are still underage, Adam. You have no place in such an establishment whether it is legal or not. And, you have no business drinking, either. Whether you believe it or not, your father and I have your best interest at heart. We just want you to be happy and safe."

Adam nodded at his mother, already knowing her words to be true, and went back to sit down on the bed. "And, what about Ashlyn and the rest of the guys? Am I really forbidden to see them?"

"At this time, you are," answered Marlena honestly, "but I'll talk to your father. I will give no promises, because I'm not entirely sure what I think of them…but we'll see."

=)=)=)

King Randor walked into his brother's bedchambers and frowned. King Stefen was seated on the edge of his bed with his hands clasped together and his dead drooping towards the floor. His bags were packed and sitting on the floor all around him. "I see that you're packed," he said softly as a greeting.

Stefen looked up, somewhat worried and somewhat relieved to get this confrontation over with, and nodded. "Yeah, I figured I might as well get it done, so I can leave quickly after our talk."

Randor walked across the room and sat beside his brother. Their awkwardness around one another now was palpable, but he strove to overcome it anyway. "Are you so sure that I'm going to kick you out of the palace?" he questioned.

Stefen laughed, but Randor could tell there was no mirth in it. "Well, you did proclaim my banishment last night. I am taking that at face value."

Randor sighed and asked, "Do you want to leave Eternos?"

Stefen stared at his brother for a few moments. It sounded like Randor was having second thoughts about last night's decision. He shook his head and said, "Not really, but I do want to go if you want me gone, brother. I do not wish to be any place where I am not welcomed."

Randor stood and walked away from the bed. With his back still to King Stefen, he replied, "I was angry last night, and I'll admit I'm still angry…but I know you didn't set out to harm Adam in any way." He turned around and looked at his brother. "Why did you take my son to Madelia?"

"Do you really want the truth?"

"You know I do."

Stefen stood and walked to Randor. Standing eye-to-eye, he admitted, "I wanted a companion. I had every intention of going to Madelia when I came to Eternos. I had decided that before I had even arrived, but you must know I didn't plan on Adam being that individual. It's just that when I met him, I knew I had to take him along."

Randor furrowed his brows. "You had to? Why?"

"Randor, your son is missing out on so much that life has to offer!" he exclaimed. "For example, did you know that Adam didn't realize the streets of Eternos were busy at night? He thought everything shut down! He had no idea!"

Randor narrowed his eyes even more and said, "Maybe I wanted it that way. The things that go on at night…"

Stefen shook his head and stated spiritedly, "He's the future King of Eternia! He has to be aware of what his people are doing! You have sheltered him far too much, Brother!"

Randor glared at Stefen and stated firmly, "That's really not your place to say."

"It's not?" whispered Stefen in question. He looked around the room for a second before meeting his brother's eyes again. "Adam will one day be the planet's High King. He will be making decisions that will affect me and every person on this planet. He doesn't need the disadvantage of not knowing all there is to know about Eternia!"

Randor shook his head and placed his hands behind his back as he straightened his posture. "So, you thought it was your right to go behind my back and educate my son?" he spat angrily.

Hearing the hostility in his brother's voice made him drop his eyes. He knew if he wanted to stay in Eternos, he needed to calm his brother back down. Continuing to keep his voice low even though Randor had fairly shouted, he denied the high king's words. "I didn't think it was my right and I even daresay it wasn't my place, but I look at him and I see a lot of you in him…and he doesn't have a brother to hang out with and get into trouble with like you did. Now, I know you may think that's a good thing, but is it really? Do you know what Adam told me the first night I took him out?"

Randor didn't say anything. He merely stood there waiting for his brother to continue. He didn't have to wait long:

"He told me that he didn't have many acquaintances his age around the palace. I guarantee that's why he agreed to go, Randor! He got the opportunity to get out of his own head and get away from all the expectations. He was able to make friends with people his own age and he got to be just Adam! I know you understand that, because you made that observation when we were young—you could never be yourself around the courtiers or even Father. Everyone had an expectation of who you were supposed to be. You said when you went out with me, it was a relief. Why wouldn't you want that for your son?"

Randor shook his head and said, "Adam never snuck out or had a problem with his friends within the palace until you showed up."

"If that were true, Randor, then why did he come with me? I didn't twist his arm. He went out willingly, twice!"

Randor paused and knew there was a little truth in his brother's words, if not all. He knew he would have to contemplate this later. "Look," he said decisively, "it's obvious that you care for my son. I appreciate that more than you know, but Adam is my son. Marlena and I are the ones who decide the rules of this palace and what Adam will be exposed to. You had no right to go behind our backs. Now, if you want to stay, you must agree to never do this again. I will not tolerate it a second time. So, what is your pleasure, brother? Do you stay or do you go?"

Stefen squeezed his brother's shoulder and said, "I want to stay."

"And, do you agree with my terms?" asked Randor unwaveringly.

"Yes."

Randor nodded and turned to go to a nearby chair. He sat down and replied, "Then, you can stay."

When Stefen went to hug his brother, Randor held up a hand to stop him. "I have something else I want to discuss. What happened between you and Liana?"

=)=)=)

Adam walked through the halls behind his mother and grimaced as they met up with Man-at-Arms and Teela on the way to the dining room. He knew both father and daughter were upset with him. He didn't know how angry Teela was, but he knew Duncan was seething. His mentor didn't greet him or even look in his direction.

He walked beside him and whispered, "So, you're still not talking to me?"

Duncan paused and said aloud, "My queen, would you mind if I spoke with Adam for a few moments alone?"

Marlena looked at Adam before nodding at Duncan. "Just see that he makes it to the dining room with no detours," she said with a smile.

"We'll be along shortly," he replied.

Once Teela and the queen were out of sight, Man-at-Arms turned to the prince and sighed. The boy looked like he was waiting for the world to explode around him: his eyelids were half-way across his eyes, his lips were in a definite frown, and he could barely meet his eyes. "I'm not ignoring you, Adam," said Duncan; "I just don't know what I want to say. You already know I'm disappointed and your parents are punishing you on top of the punishment I already gave you for your first trip to Madelia. What else is there left for me to address?"

"I don't know…anything. I can't stand this silence," Adam complained. He looked at him hopefully but briefly. He wouldn't believe they were okay until they truly talked to one another.

Duncan shook his head and replied, "Well, why don't we address Teela, then?"

Adam had no trouble meeting Man-at-Arm's eyes then. "What about Teela?"

"She's rather upset with you."

Adam looked up at the ceiling for a moment and replied, "I already knew that. That's typical. Did she say anything to you this time?"

Man-at-Arms nodded. "Yes, she says she's getting tired of you trying to get yourself killed and not taking her along when you want to go out…not that she would have let you go to Madelia if you had told her what you were planning."

Adam started walking towards the dining room, so Duncan followed. When he caught up, the prince questioned, "So, she only cares about being my bodyguard and that she wasn't there to protect me?"

Duncan gave him an odd look. "Well, she considers this another example of you not taking your responsibilities seriously."

Adam sighed and shook his head. "Yes, this would fit in with that reputation, wouldn't it?"

At that point, they walked into the dining room and Teela immediately looked up at them from her seat at the table. She knitted her brows as her eyes met Adam's before looking away.

Today was going to be a long day. Teela was assigned to be with him all day, and he knew he probably wouldn't enjoy it at all.


	13. Teela's Wrath

Against Nature Chapter 13

King Stefen stopped in his tracks as his brother asked him about Liana. He immediately dropped his head and whispered, "I really don't want to talk about that, Randor." He then proceeded to study the deep burgundy carpet that covered his bedchamber floor. It was soft and plush, no doubt made of the finest quality materials. Nothing in the Dyperian Castle could rival its sublime beauty—the needlework involved must have taken hours with many different seamstresses working on it together. It was breathtaking.

But his admiration of their craft was abruptly cut short when two hands clasped his shoulders firmly. "Stefen, talk to me," Randor pressed; "I know you're going through a rough time right now, and I want to help."

Stefen pulled away from his brother obstinately. "How can your knowing help anything? There's nothing you can do!" he snapped, suddenly getting angry. He walked to the balcony of his room and stared out over Eternos. "My marriage is coming to an end, and there's nothing I can do it about it."

"How do you know?" asked Randor as he came to stand beside him. "Maybe if you talked to Liana, you could work things out. Surely, whatever you did can be forgiven if you…"

Stefen whipped his head towards his brother and wrinkled his nose in intense anger, but he knew he had better not allow his fury to get the better of him. Randor had just given him permission to stay in Eternos, and taking the King of Eternia to task over an unintentional insult would not be a wise decision. He took a few moments to breathe deeply as he closed his eyes. When he reopened them, he noticed his brother's concerned look and asked simply, "What makes you think it was something I had done?"

Suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed, Randor tore his eyes away from his brother and stared at the next balcony, which was attached to Adam's bedchambers. "I...I just assumed it was, in light of your tendency to have nights on the town." He moved his head to scrutinize his brother again and explained, "I highly doubt your trips to Madelia were the first time you actually went out like that since getting married. Naturally, thethought led me to believe that it was something of a habit."

Stefen placed his hands on the nearby railing and leaned forward a little, looking at the ground beneath them. "Well, it wasn't my fault," he informed him as he watched several soldiers exercise in the courtyard below them. "I don't even know if it was hers. As you know, when Father disappeared and everyone assumed that he had died, I couldn't handle being in Eternos any longer. I had to get away from the memories and pretend that it hadn't happened. There was no body to prove Father's death, after all, but the people constantly mourned here and made it impossible for me to forget…so I had to leave. I had travelled from kingdom to kingdom for several months before I found myself in Dyperia. When I had met Liana, her father had been on his deathbed and spent his last days on Eternia begging his daughter to find a suitable husband to be king—he hadn't wanted her to rule alone. After we had met and gotten to know one another a little, we decided to get married. It had been convenient for the both of us. She had needed someone to rule at her side and I had needed a new home. My being a prince and her being a princess made it seem like a natural solution to our problems." He pushed away from the balcony slowly and dropped into one of the nearby chairs. He hunched over as he rested his elbows on his knees and wove his hands together in front of him "We didn't marry for love," he admitted, "but we didn't think that would be a problem. After all, royalty do such things all the time."

Randor sat in the chair beside his brother and asked softly, "So, what happened?"

Stefen shook his head and mumbled, "I went on one of my little…excursions into the city. It had been uneventful. I had spent time at a bar, listened to the music, drank a little, and came home. When I entered my bedchambers…I found Liana with another man."

Randor gasped.

Lifting his head and nodding, Stefen replied, "Yeah, I know. I didn't see that one coming either. She tried to explain herself—she actually tried to blame me by saying I was cheating. The funny thing is I hadn't at that time, but what I've done since hardly counts as cheating, does it? I had grabbed my belongings and left the kingdom, so she knows it's over."

The brothers sat quietly for a few moments, each contemplating what had happened. Eventually, Randor reached out and squeezed his brother's knee. "I will support you no matter what you decide, and that's why I have to ask: do you really want to end your marriage?"

Stefen glared at his brother sharply and spat, "Would you be able to forgive such an act?"

Randor shrugged and stated calmly, "I don't know. No one knows how they will react in certain situations without it actually happening to them. I'd like to think I'd be able to question my role in the incident. If I had somehow contributed to the problem, I would like to think I'd take ownership and try to work things out…but I don't think I have to worry about that with Marlena. We did marry for love, after all, and our relationship is as strong as it was the day we got married, more so, in fact."

"Well, that's nice for you, Randor," replied Stefen, resentfully, "but what exactly are you trying to say? Do you think I'm partly to blame for my wife's infidelity?"

"No!" he replied rapidly. "I'm not saying that at all…but I think in light of your 'excursions,' she might have actually thought that—"

"Two wrongs don't make a right, Randor, even if I had been cheating!"

The King of Eternia nodded. "No, it doesn't, and like I said, I'll stand by you no matter what you decide. I want you to know I'm here for you." He stood and offered his hand to his brother. When he took it, Randor pulled Stefen to his feet and suggested, "Why don't we go to the dining room and eat breakfast?" He grinned a little and continued, "Food always makes things well again."

Stefen knew he was trying to make him feel better, so he rolled his eyes for Randor's benefit and replied, "Lead the way, Brother."

=)=)=)

If looks could kill, he would have been a dead man. Teela practically shot daggers with her eyes as she looked at him briefly before turning her attention to the queen. As his mother spoke of her afternoon meeting with visiting diplomats, Adam made his way around the dining room table and sat in his usual spot across from Man-at-Arms.

His attention never left Teela as he moved, and he could tell she was aware of the fact. He could see her neck strain as she tried not to turn to look at him. It seemed as though she had taken a page out of Duncan's recent playbook and decided not to speak or even acknowledge him.

"Well, if she's not talking to me, she's not yelling," Adam told himself as he also turned his attention to his mother. He supposed he should enjoy the peace while it lasted. Undoubtedly, Teela would let her fury be known when they were alone, so he hoped breakfast took a long time.

Unfortunately, his father and uncle joined them shortly thereafter and the meal officially got underway as the kitchen staff brought in their breakfast already served on individual plates. Because everyone was now busy with their food, Adam turned his attention away from Teela and studied his uncle who had taken the seat beside him. The king didn't look overly upset, so he wondered if things had gone well that morning. He glanced at his father briefly before whispering, "How did things go? Are you still banished?"

Stefen glanced at him as he dropped his head and turned towards him slightly. "No, I'm not banished," he replied softly. He looked up at his brother before continuing, "Luckily, bad news gets people's minds off of undesirable topics and actions. It focuses them elsewhere. Remember that when your king, Adam—you just might get what you want that way sometimes."

Adam raised his brow in surprise and held his mouth open a little, and Stefen smiled at the expression—the boy looked so shocked that he started to chuckle in amusement. "Careful, you might catch flies," he said with a grin.

The prince suddenly smiled and shook his head. "Well, the Ancients know I don't want that to happen," he replied. "Thanks for the advice, Uncle Stefen. I'll try to remember that."

"Remember what advice?" they heard King Randor ask.

Adam turned startled eyes toward Stefen. He hadn't realized he had spoken so loudly.

Stefen laughed in amusement and mumbled, "Don't look at me this time. I have no idea what to say."

The prince turned to his father, knowing he couldn't share his uncle's words unless he actually wanted King Stefen banished from Eternos, and said, "We were just…uh, talking about, ah…"

Stefen quickly thought of a believable topic and interjected loudly, "We were talking about women! I was just giving him a little advice. And, don't worry, Randor, despite my current situation, I still have plenty of good advice to give."

Adam's jaw dropped open. "Wha—" he gasped for a moment and then glanced at Teela. Her complexion had turned a deep red and her brows had furrowed into a look of contempt, so he quickly turned to his father to see the king staring at him.

"You do realize, son, that you can come to me about any questions you may have," Randor said, confidently. "I am not as old and out of touch as you think. I can assure you that I have had quite a few experiences…"

Adam's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Oh, Ancients, no!"

Randor looked at his son in confusion until his wife grabbed his attention. "Oh, you have, have you?" she asked with a smirk.

Now, it was the king's turn for his jaw to drop open. "I didn't mean it like that! I meant…," he stuttered, "…w—what I meant to say was…"

At that moment, King Stefen couldn't hold it in any longer. Laughter erupted from his lungs loudly and Adam latched on to it, willing to do anything so he didn't have to contribute to the conversation. He began laughing, as well.

Eventually, when they had settled down, they discovered everyone was looking at them, but only the queen looked amused. Adam immediately jumped up and said, "Uh, I'm finished. I'm not that hungry this morning." He rushed around the table to head towards the hall, but before he could leave, his father's voice rang out throughout the room.

"You do remember Teela is assigned to accompany you at all times today," he reminded him.

Adam froze and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. He had forgotten… He turned around and noticed Teela had already begun to make her way towards him.

"I'm finished, too," she said coolly as she eyed him. "Where is our first destination, Prince Adam?"

"Ouch!" he thought as he noticed that she used his title. Aloud, he replied, "I…I was going to go back to my bedchambers to make sure Cringer was up."

Teela rolled her eyes and said, "Well, if you don't have anything else planned right now, we can get an early start on your combat lesson. You're behind in your training and if I have to be with you all day, we might as well take advantage of it." The captain stomped past him into the hallway and began walking to his room.

Adam groaned as he followed her.

=)=)=)

Teela flung several shields around as she tried to find the one she usually gave Adam during his training. She couldn't find it and she was suspicious. The thought crossed her mind that maybe Adam had hidden it at some point, thinking he would get out of training in the future.

She went from pile to pile and still didn't find it. She groaned in frustration loudly and kicked a nearby box. She didn't know what was inside of it, but the release of stress and anxiety that she had felt inspired her to do it again. She kicked the box hurriedly several times before she stopped and bent over, resting her hands on her knees.

She knew she was too wound up, but she didn't know the cause. No, that was a lie. In reality, she did: it was Adam.

She glanced through the door that led to the courtyard from the palace's equipment room and frowned as she observed Adam sitting on the edge of the fountain talking to Cringer.

There was no denying that the Prince of Eternia was frustrating and most of all infuriating. Adam and she hadn't spent much time together this week, because he supposedly hadn't been available. For days, they had skipped their combat lessons, because he was supposedly at meetings for his father or he was flat-out missing. "Only the Ancients know where he runs off to all the time," she thought to herself before she paused.

Actually, she probably did know, thanks to last night.

Madelia.

Even though she knew Adam loved to have fun, she hadn't expected to ever find her childhood friend in such an establishment. Adam did many things, but she had never known him to break the law, and yet, he had gone to an illegal bar. It didn't make sense, and not only that, it had been dangerous.

Teela straightened her posture and gave the box one last kick before she went to the next pile to look for the shield. If she didn't find it soon, she would simply give him a random one that probably wouldn't be as comfortable, but it would serve him right…

He deserved a little discomfort after all the worry he had put her through last night. After Dion had gotten her up and told her the king wanted to see her immediately, she had been preparing herself for the worst. When King Randor had told her Adam had taken off with his uncle to an illegal club, her heart had stopped. She remembered panicking silently, wondering what kind of dangers Adam had possibly put himself in.

Now, she knew: illegal substances, alcohol, and women…and not just any women. No, they were the kind who looked like they'd fall head over heels for Adam if he so much as looked at them. When she had rushed into the club with her father and seen Adam on the dance floor, she had noticed the women in the room were salivating. Some were actually telling others what they would like to do to the 'gorgeous man' or 'handsome prince.'

She rolled her eyes at the descriptions but sighed after a few moments. Who was she kidding? Adam was gorgeous, and every woman in the club had thought so, too. She had watched in horror as these women started to approach him. She still didn't think Adam realized the danger he was in. They looked like they were getting ready to strip him of his clothes, and she knew that was a very real possibility…but of course, dear naïve Adam didn't have a clue or a care in the world!

No, instead, he started sucking face with one of them!

Teela thought back to that moment and felt an emotion that she still refused to identify rise within her.

She wondered if Adam even knew the woman. Regardless, this Ashlyn certainly didn't know Adam for as long as she had. She was willing to bet that the woman didn't even know Adam's favorite food, his favorite book, his favorite color or anything else…but she did. She knew Ashlyn probably wanted Adam because he's a prince, and that wasn't the criterion for a good, healthy relationship. She hoped Adam knew the courtesan's motivations, and if he didn't, she would only be too happy to inform him.

Ripped out of her thoughts, Teela found Adam's shield and grinned in success, but her reaction quickly faded as she turned her attention back to the prince and remembered her prior thoughts. She was angry Adam had given that leech the time of day, because that's all she was. And, she was also angry Adam had put himself in a dangerous situation…and he was going to find that out very soon!

She stepped out of the equipment room and gave Adam an icy stare before walking towards him.

=)=)=)

Adam stood in silence as he watched Teela approach him. She still didn't look happy and she had only spat six words to him when they had stepped outside: "I'm going to get our equipment."

As Teela reach him and handed him his usual shield and sword, he studied her face for any sign as to what she was thinking, but Teela wasn't looking at him directly.

Sighing heavily, he decided to get this over with. "Okay, let me have it," he said softly.

"What?" snapped Teela, finally meeting his eyes.

"I know you want to yell at me about last night, so go ahead."

Teela scowled at him deeply and opened her mouth to say something when she was interrupted by someone yelling.

Adam turned his attention away from the captain and looked in the direction he heard someone calling his name from. He knew the voice and immediately smiled as he spotted the person. "Ashlyn!" he said and dropped his shield and sword uncaringly to the ground. He had a feeling she would show up at some point that day, considering she had wanted to come the morning after he had met her to make sure he had been all right. He took a step toward his friend to let her inside the palace grounds but quickly remembered who he was with. He turned back to Teela, and he thought he saw a flicker of pain or sadness as she looked at Ashlyn, but he couldn't be sure. The expression had been gone in an instant. "Teela?" he questioned softly, touching her arm briefly.

Immediately, Teela glared at Ashlyn before shifting her expression to Adam. Without any kind of censuring or care that Ashlyn could probably hear her, Teela shouted, "You are not allowed to see that woman anymore, Prince Adam, and you know that!"


	14. Adam's Departure

Against Nature Chapter 14

King Randor and Queen Marlena held hands as they were on their way to the throne room after breakfast.

"I take it your talk with your brother went well," said the queen, "considering he's still here."

Randor sighed as he walked and shook his head slightly. "Yes, he's still here and it went well between us, but he's actually going through a rough time right now. I'm ashamed I didn't notice. I was just so concerned about his past behavior that I didn't consider that maybe he's returning to those deeds because of current woes." Randor knew plenty of men who had done that after hitting a particularly rough patch in their lives. Partying, alcohol, and women seemed like a good getaway to them.

She squeezed his hand slightly and leaned into him. "What woes are those?"

He paused, looked around to make sure no one was around, and turned her to face him. "He caught Liana having an affair," he answered simply.

"What?" gasped Marlena. "I never thought Liana would do something like that! Poor Stefen!"

Randor nodded. "Yeah, I know. I wouldn't know what to think or what to do," he whispered. He held her gaze intently and continued, "But I know I don't have to worry about that with you. All of this reminds me just how lucky I am to have you as my wife and queen."

Marlena leaned forward and kissed his lips chastely. "No, you'll never have to worry about that, my king. I love you more today than I did when we got married. I can't even fathom being with anyone else."

The king wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her to him tightly, and mumbled, "Well, let's not try imagining—there's no point. I would never let another man take you away from me. I love you too much." They kissed deeply this time. Randor ran one hand into her hair as the other slipped to her lower back to press her tightly against him as his lips parted hers so he could explore her further.

Eventually, he pulled away and looked around to see if anyone had seen them. If they had, they made themselves scarce. "What a display for the king and queen to put on!" he exclaimed.

Marlena laughed. She could tell he was pretending to be mortified by their behavior. She smirked and said, "Oh, you know you did that on purpose! You felt the need to mark your territory and let us be the big gossip of Eternos today: the king and queen were making out today like a couple of teenagers out in the open! They could have at least gone to their room."

Randor laughed loudly as he pulled her along. He slipped his arm around her waist and replied, "Maybe I did. Maybe I did." He then winked at her.

=)=)=)

Adam froze for a moment as he listened to Teela snap at him. Turning beet red, he noticed with his peripheral vision that Ashlyn's jaw had dropped. He knew Ashlyn couldn't believe she was yelling at him—the prince, of all people—and truthfully, he couldn't believe that she was yelling at him in front of her either! Yes, he had given Teela much freedom over the years to speak her mind around and to him because he had wanted to be just like everyone else and they had grown up together, but at that particular moment he almost regretted the decision. He was angry that she thought it was okay to speak to him in such a manner in public! Feeling more than a little embarrassed, he focused all of his attention on Teela, straightened his posture, and bellowed sternly, "Captain, I am quite aware of what I should and should not be doing, and in no circumstance is it your place to tell the Prince of Eternia what to do!"

Teela rapidly stepped back and stared up at him as if he had slapped her.

Adam felt a tinge of guilt as he met her astonished eyes, but he plowed through the emotion anyway. She had to learn. "Leave us," he said coolly, setting his jaw firmly.

Teela gaped at the prince and whined, "But Adam!"

"That will be all, Captain."

Teela immediately lowered her eyes and mumbled, "But the king bid me to stay with you today."

Adam sighed and replied, "Yes, but you can perform the task as other guards do: at a distance."

Tears swelled in her eyes as she turned around abruptly and walked to stand at the palace entrance.

Adam watched the captain's slow departure and felt his guilt grow. He had never spoken to Teela that way before…but he knew he couldn't apologize right now. Ashlyn was there and how would it look for the Prince of Eternia to chase after the Captain of the Guard to apologize to **her** after she yelled at him. Because of their positions, it was expected that he would reprimand her for her boldness. As much as he wanted to forget who he was sometimes, he couldn't at moments like this. Ashlyn, more than likely, would still be one of his subjects when he became king and he didn't want others to think his soldiers spoke to him like that. It could have disastrous consequences if that got out. He had a bad enough reputation of his own doing, thanks to his obligations as He-Man, without Teela making it worse.

After he watched the captain pivot around to face them, he turned and walked to Ashlyn. "Hi," he greeted softly as he opened the gate to let her inside the palace grounds.

=)=)=)

Ashlyn didn't move; she merely stared at Adam.

"Are you coming in?" he asked, looking slightly confused.

She glanced at Teela. "Is what she said true? Are you not allowed to see me anymore?"

Adam closed his eyes and tilted his head to the ground. "I can't lie," he whispered. "My father thinks you and the others are a bad influence. It's completely unfair, I know, but Mother said she might talk to him. I know if she really puts forth the effort, she'll change his mind. The only thing is that she hasn't decided if she will yet."

Ashlyn looked over at Teela, frowned, and mumbled, "Ancients, if you were anyone else…" She stopped talking.

"What?" he asked curiously. When she shook her head and started to back away, he stepped forward and slipped a hand behind her back to hold her there. "Tell me! If I were anyone else—what?"

Taking a deep breath to prepare herself for the next words, she stated, "If you were anyone else, I'd suggest coming out with me anyway. You're a grown man and can make your own decisions…but you're the Prince of Eternia. I suppose your life isn't your own, thanks to that."

The prince immediately frowned. He never had anyone ever phrase his life in such a way before. " _My life isn't my own_ ," he repeated…He found the description apt and he didn't like it one bit. Because he was Prince Adam, he had obligations to his father, the kingdom, and the entire planet. Because he was He-Man, he had obligations to the Sorceress, Castle Grayskull, and the entire planet. His life really wasn't his! He always had to answer to someone—he always had to do what was right and the one time, the absolute one time, he had done anything questionable everyone freaked out and started forbidding what he could do and who his friends could be! Ashlyn was right—he's an adult and an intelligent one at that! He was the prince and it was damn time he did what he wanted for a change! His father had done it, his uncle had done it, and he knew every man on the planet had done it! Why was he the only one who couldn't live and make mistakes on his own? Why was he the only one who couldn't have fun and normal, everyday friends?

He glanced at Teela, ignored her sad expression, and thought about how fast she could move. He turned back at Ashlyn and said, "Can you run quickly?"

"What?" she asked. She looked at him like he had grown a second head.

"See that woman over there. She's the Captain of the Guard and my bodyguard. She's a pretty fast runner, so I want to know how fast you can run."

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? I want to spend the day with you, so we have to ditch her somehow."

Ashlyn smiled and exclaimed, "Wow! Are you serious?"

"Yeah, why not?" he said nonchalantly, even though on the inside he was excited, nervous, and terrified at the same time. His heart beat frantically against his chest.

Ashlyn leaned closer to him and said, "There's more to this than just running. We have to figure out where we're going to go to keep a low profile. Madelia is out and my home is out because she's undoubtedly going to report your departure with me."

The seriousness of what he was contemplating hit him. Of course Teela would report his actions. The guards would be looking for him everywhere and his parents would be furious. He looked at Ashlyn and debated. Was this worth it? A voice inside him asked, " _Is claiming your life as your own worth it? Is stating that you can make your own decisions worth it?_ " The answer was an emphatic "yes." He knew he was making a decision that would get him into a lot of trouble, but it was worth it! He would have an amazing day for once and he was going to love every minute of it!

"Any ideas?" he asked.

Her smile widened into a contagious grin. Adam found himself grinning, as well. "Yes, I do. It involves a little climbing and we might run into the others if they're there. Are you game?"

He glanced at Teela quickly and whispered, "Yes, let's do it."

Ashlyn held her hand out, and Adam reached out to grab it. Then, they ran as fast as they could. They could hear Teela yelling behind them in the distance but they didn't stop or slow down.

=)=)=)

Teela stood at the palace entrance and wiped at her eyes as they watered. " _Stupid allergies_ ," she thought.

She frowned as she watched Adam interact with Ashlyn…the red-head floozy he had kissed at Madelia. She dropped her head and shook it slowly. She messed up—she knew it. She had embarrassed Prince Adam. She had read it on his face all too clearly when he stared at her as she yelled. At that time, though, she had thought it was a good sign that she was getting through to him, but when he had straightened his posture and told her she had no right to tell him to do anything, she knew she had gone too far.

She knew she went too far too often. Because Adam was so calm and mild-mannered, she forgot sometimes that he was the Prince of Eternia and her actions and words at times bordered on treason and insubordination. Adam could have her brought up on charges or at the very least dismissed from the guard at any time.

She wiped at her eyes again.

Had she ruined their friendship this time? Adam had only ever pulled rank and dismissed her from his presence one time and that was when he had been tired and she wouldn't leave him alone. He apologized later, but she had a feeling that wasn't going to happen this time. Even then, Adam hadn't spoken to her in anger. This time, she could tell contempt was mixed in with feelings of embarrassment.

Her father always told her that her mouth would one day get her into trouble. She brought her hands up and wiped more tears away. She then took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She would be the one to apologize this time. As soon as Ashlyn left, she would go to Adam and ask for forgiveness.

She almost wanted to go over there and ask him to speak with her now, but she knew that would be rude and could get her into deeper water. Also, she knew where part of the desire came from: she didn't want Adam anywhere near Ashlyn. She didn't like her and she definitely thought the girl was bad news. Adam often hung out with courtiers and flirted with them—she didn't like it then either, but this girl was a million times worse!

She wouldn't ask herself why, but deep down she knew it was because this was the only girl Adam had given any inclination to actually liking a little. The problem was Ashlyn was just like courtiers in the sense that they only saw the crown Adam would one day wear. They didn't really know him! She also knew Ashlyn would get him into trouble. Why couldn't he see that?

She glanced back at Adam in time to see him and Ashlyn reaching toward one another. " _What are they doing_?" she asked herself and then it became apparent. They were making a run for it! As Adam and Ashlyn took off running so did she! "ADAM!" she yelled. "ADAM!"

She was much too far away to catch up with them. By the time she got to the street they went down, they were already gone. She had no idea where to look. She walked down the street and glanced down each side road she passed. Nothing.

She sighed as she realized what her next course of action had to be. She didn't have a choice and she was sure it would put her further out of favor with the prince than she was now.

She had to go inform King Randor of his son's actions.


	15. Time Spent with Ashlyn

Against Nature Chapter 15

Adam followed Ashlyn as they ran down several streets rapidly. It seemed like they were making random turns at the spare of the moment, so he could barely keep up with where he was. He knew she was probably doing that intentionally to lose Teela. Hopefully, they wouldn't end up going in circles and run right into her!

Eventually though, they came to a stop in an alleyway and she bent over to breathe deeply. "Do you think we've lost her?" she asked, panting slightly.

Adam crept to the edge of the alley and looked down the road in each direction. "I don't see anyone," he mumbled back; "Maybe we should stay here for a couple of minutes to be sure."

Ashlyn nodded in agreement as she leaned against the nearby building and he joined her.

He couldn't believe he had actually left the palace grounds with Ashlyn! He couldn't believe he had ditched Teela! Well, he did so all the time to turn into He-Man, but he had never been so blatant about it before! He usually made sure he had a reason for his absence, whether it was chasing after Cringer or going for help.

Because he didn't have a legitimate reason for his actions, he knew what was going to happen now: his father was going to get angry, the Guard would be sent out to look for him, and he'd get punished even more once he was discovered. He knew that, but it was worth it because he was now able to enjoy the day without having to worry about his father, Man-at-Arms, or Teela complaining or finding him "something better to do" as his father liked to say. He could just be himself and really have fun—not the "pretend fun" he usually had with courtiers—and on top of that, it was also making a statement that he would be friends with whomever he wanted despite anyone else's thoughts on the matter. Ashlyn was absolutely right. He was a grown man and he should be the one to decide whom he would leave the palace with.

After a few more moments, Adam looked at Ashlyn and smiled. "I think it's safe. We really need to get out of here, because I have no doubt in my mind that Teela is telling my father right now. The Guard will be looking for us soon."

=)=)=)

Teela stepped into the throne room and trembled slightly in angst. She dreaded what she now had to do for so many different reasons: first and foremost, she knew she was going to get Adam into trouble and he might be angry with her, more than he already was. Second, it was her job to watch Prince Adam today and he had gotten away from her. What kind of guard lets his or her charge escape? Not a very good one.

She wasn't looking forward to King Randor's reaction.

Currently, the king was talking to her father from the throne—she wasn't sure about what—but as soon as their eyes met, he paused mid-sentence and stared at the entrance.

She knew he was waiting for Adam to walk through. When it became apparent that it wasn't going to happen, he stood and asked somewhat sternly, "Teela, where's Prince Adam?"

Everyone—her father, the queen, King Stefen, and Orko—turned to her and she immediately fidgeted. "Um, that's what I came to tell you. That woman, Ashlyn, showed up at the side palace gate and Adam…ran off with her."

Silence enveloped the entire throne room.

Queen Marlena then broke the silence by standing and asking, "What do you mean he ran off with her?"

Teela breathed deeply and said, "I can't explain it any better. He went with her and I have no idea where or why."

The king immediately turned his head to look at his brother and stated sharply, "I hope you know this is thanks to you!" He then walked down the throne steps, stood in front of Teela, and questioned, "And, where were you?"

She felt tears pool in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "I was near the palace entrance. I had embarrassed Prince Adam earlier. She showed up and I…I got so mad."

Man-at-Arms walked over and asked sternly, "What did you do?"

"I yelled at him. I told him he wasn't allowed to hang out with her!" she answered. She then looked back at the king and continued, "I know I had no right to yell at him—I'm only a member of the Guard—and he even told me as much. He dismissed me and told me to stand a distance away. Because of that, I wasn't close enough to stop him when he decided to leave with Ashlyn."

The king turned his back on Teela and shook his head slowly. Queen Marlena quickly went to her husband and laid a hand on his right forearm. "Randor, he's okay," she reassured him. "So, he ran off with a girl—let's not blow this out of proportion."

"Let's not blow this out of proportion?" he suddenly repeated. Trying to remain as calm as possible and not quite accomplishing it, he stated, "Marlena, Adam directly disobeyed my wishes! I explicitly told him he was not to see that girl again, and he blatantly disregarded my order to keep Teela with him at all times! How could I even begin to blow this out of proportion?" He then turned to Man-at-Arms and ordered, "Take a large group and search the city. Bring my son home and straight to me. I don't care where I am or what I'm doing."

Duncan bowed and answered, "Yes, Your Majesty." He then turned to his daughter, who was still fighting tears, and whispered, "Come, child."

=)=)=)

Adam chivalrously offered Ashlyn his elbow as they walked through the city. Happy that he was offering, she wrapped her arm around his immediately. People on the streets cleared the way for them everywhere they went. He knew it was because they recognized him and were surprised to see him. With the looks that they flashed his companion's way, he knew that they were also surprised that they were together. That was probably true for all of Eternos' population, himself included.

"So," he asked, glancing at Ashlyn as she smiled brightly, "where are we going?"

"We're almost there," she said as she moved closer to the prince and leaned on him. "It's a surprise."

He looked around and whispered, "Uh, Ash." He paused as he noticed her grin get even wider—evidently, she liked what he called her. "This isn't a good place to hide. The guards will find us in no time." They were in the market district, so it was full of businesses and people. Despite the chaos in the area, it would be one of the first places the guards would look.

She winked at him and stated nonchalantly, "Trust me."

Within moments, Ashlyn pushed Adam down another alley and they walked behind an old building. In this particular area, there were a lot of broken boards, blocks, and other things piled up near the corner of the building.

Again, Adam found himself looking around. He couldn't fathom why they were there or where they could possibly be going. He watched in befuddlement as Ashlyn let go of his arm and began to climb on the pile. "Hey," he said as he ran to the pile, getting nervous, "that doesn't look safe. What are you doing?"

He continued to watch as Ashlyn jumped from the top of the pile to a large windowsill on the nearby building. She looked back at him as best as she could since she was pressed against the window and exclaimed, "We do this all the time! Come on!"

He watched as she jumped, grabbed the windowsill above her, and pulled herself up. She did this until she got to the top of the building and pulled herself onto the roof. She immediately looked back down at him and yelled, "Oh, come on, Prince Adam! You can do it!"

He looked to the pile again warily and sighed. He couldn't very well back out now. He'd look kind of ridiculous otherwise. He could imagine going back to the palace and telling Teela and his parents, "Hi, I'm back now—you see, Ashlyn wanted me to climb up the side of a dilapidated building and it looked too dangerous to me, so I decided to come home right away." No, he didn't want to do that.

=)=)=)

Adam climbed up the rubble slowly and turned to face the building. The windowsill, in which he had to stand on, was only a few feet away. All that was needed was a slight hop…but he was nervous about it anyway. He was maybe ten feet from the ground and while the drop wouldn't kill him if he fell, he would definitely get banged up.

"Come on, Adam!" he heard Ashlyn encourage him again.

Closing his eyes temporarily, he gathered courage and jumped as soon as he reopened his eyes. Instantly, Adam slammed against the windowpane and it shook slightly as he reached both hands out to steady himself on the indentation of the surrounding wall. Sighing in relief to have one obstacle out of the way, he looked up at the next windowsill. With a slight hop, he grabbed the next ledge with his right hand and then his left. Luckily, he wasn't as bad in athleticism as he always made himself out to be, so he was able to pull himself up without any problem. What was tricky were getting his legs up far enough onto the ledge and at the same time, bringing himself to a standing position. Ashlyn had made it seem easy—probably because she did it often—but it was anything but simple. He had to stretch his arms across the window and lock them outward to have something to hold onto while he moved up.

Once Adam was in a standing position, he flinched as he felt something weird happen under his feet. Carefully, he looked down and saw that small pieces of the windowsill had broken and fallen away under his feet. Gratefully, they weren't big chunks, but it was alarming anyway. He was a big guy, much heavier than Ashlyn, so that became an issue he had to worry about, as well.

Regardless, he had to move. He couldn't stay there all day, so he continued to pull himself up until he got onto the roof. Once he was there, he looked back down and shook his head. "I believe that was my workout for the day," he stated with slight sarcasm.

Ashlyn quickly hugged him and said, "It's about time you got up here. I was getting nervous for a second there."

He nodded. "Yeah, I was, too."

She chuckled and exclaimed, "Well, you're up here now, and you have to admit the Guard won't find you! They'd have no idea to even look here!"

He had to admit she was right. The building was obviously abandoned, and with no tampering with any entrances to the place, why would the Guard feel the need to check it out? They wouldn't. There was just one problem: "What is there to do up here?"

Ashlyn immediately laughed, grabbed his hand, and pulled him along. "We simply hang out and do whatever we want," she explained. They walked around the storage unit on the roof and stepped to the other side of the building. What came into sight right away were Daniel and a girl he had never met before.

=)=)=)

King Stefen knew he shouldn't do it in front of Randor, so he abruptly turned around and faced the opposite direction when he found himself smiling. He wasn't smiling because he was happy his brother was upset; rather, he was amused at Adam's actions.

"Where would they have gone?" he heard his brother snap.

Having a feeling he was talking to him, he cleared his face of expression and turned back around. As suspected, Randor was staring at him.

"You spent time with both of them. Where would they have run off to?"

He shook his head. "How would I know, Randor? We always went to Madelia, but you had the place shut down."

The King of Eternia paced the room and stated, "Well, evidently you know this city far better than I do. I've lived here my entire life and didn't know where the bar was located like you did. Surely, you know of other locales where this girl might have taken Adam."

He stepped into Randor's path to get him to stop pacing and replied, "I'm afraid not, brother. The only other places I know, you already know about. Madelia was the only one I didn't tell you about when we were kids."

"That's not really helping me, Stefen. You must have some idea!"

"I'm afraid I don't. Maybe you should check the girl's home. You have her name so you can find out where she lives, but other than that, I don't know."

Randor looked to Marlena and said, "I can't believe Adam would run off with a stranger! What has gotten into him?"

Feeling the need to stick up for his nephew, Stefen stated, "Ashlyn isn't really a stranger. They've interacted a good deal since meeting, and I've observed her. She seems like a nice enough girl despite her low stature. At the very least, I can tell you that she does like your son, and I don't think she'd allow any harm to come to him."

The king glared at Stefen and spat, "Oh, she likes him, all right. She loves his position and the power he will one day have. For all I know she's trying to seduce Adam so she'll carry an heir to the throne and he'll have to marry her!"

"Randor!" exclaimed Marlena. "You don't seriously believe Adam would fall for that! He knows the dangers in those regards. Despite his recent behavior, I do not believe he would soil his name and hers in such a way. Besides, he already told me he wasn't producing illegitimate heirs, so that implies he's not out there having sex."

"I never said he was doing it—I said she was probably trying to get him to do it. There is a difference."

Stefen reached out and squeezed his brother's shoulder. "I don't think so, brother. She was actually concerned when she heard Adam had gotten sick yesterday morning, and she hasn't asked Adam for anything. It seems to me Ashlyn is bringing Adam into her world instead of desiring the opposite."

Randor sighed and said, "Is that supposed to comfort me? I didn't want you influencing my son, so I certainly don't want her to do it!"

"I think Ashlyn might be good for him."

He glared at his brother. "Well, it's a good thing he's not your son, isn't it? Worry about Dal instead of passing judgments on whom my son should court!"

Stefen held up his hands in defeat and relented, "I'm sorry. I know I'm not being helpful right now, but I truly believe we're worrying over nothing. Adam is simply getting away from the palace and spending time with people his own age. Let him live a little, Randor, like you used to do."

=)=)=)

Adam slowed his approach as he saw Ashlyn's brother. He could tell Daniel was completely unaware of their presence, because the female in his arms was taking all of his attention: they sat on a mattress they must have somehow dragged up there and they were kissing like their lives depended on it. He suddenly realized what Ashlyn meant when she said they did whatever they wanted. He could see that was true.

He glanced at Ashlyn inquisitively. He wondered how many guys she had brought to this place.

Ashlyn met his eyes briefly and rolled them. "Okay, Daniel!" she yelled; "You knew I was coming, so break it up! I don't want to see my brother making out with his girlfriend!"

Daniel immediately pulled away and laughed. "Then, don't look!" When he looked in his sister's direction, he immediately grinned and stood. "Well, well…look who's here: Prince Adam." He walked over to him and shook his hand. "I seriously believed we wouldn't see you again for quite some time, thanks to what happened at Madelia."

Adam nodded uncomfortably and mumbled, "Yeah, I'm sorry about that."

Daniel raised his brow and said, "Don't worry about it. Madelia will just pick itself up and move to a new location. No harm done."

At that, Adam widened his eyes. "What do you mean?"

The siblings laughed. Eventually, Ashlyn replied, "Places like Madelia never close for long. Someone will always find a new locale and open it up again. I bet it'll be open in less than a month."

At that moment, the girl who was sitting on the mattress stood up and made her way to Daniel's side. She gaped at the prince as she brushed her hand against her boyfriend's back. Daniel smiled at her, turned back to Adam, and said, "Please excuse my poor manners. Adam, this is Leslie, my girlfriend. Leslie, this is Prince Adam."

After the two shook hands, they stood there awkwardly for a few moments. No one knew what to do. Eventually, Daniel exclaimed, "Why are we acting like we haven't hung out before?" He turned around, motioned with his head, and said, "Come on. Have a drink with us."

Daniel bent down next to the small wall that surrounded the side of the roof and opened a small cooler. He handed Leslie two bottles and she immediately handed them to Adam and Ashlyn. When everyone finally had one of their own, Daniel and Leslie opened theirs and clang them together before taking a big swig of the contents.

Ashlyn opened hers and then looked over at Adam as he stared at his own bottle. She touched his wrist softly and whispered, "You don't have to drink if you don't want to."

He smiled at her gratefully. "I know. I was just thinking about how much I should drink. My mother said she and I don't hold Eternian liquor very well, but I'm sure I can handle it in small amounts."

She giggled amusedly and replied, "So, Your Highness can't handle his liquor very well. I'm truly surprised. No offense, but most people think Royalty drinks all the time since they have access to the good stuff constantly."

Adam shrugged and said, "I suppose some do drink constantly. My family has never been that way. I now know my mother's physiology—and mine—might have had something to do with it."

"What do you mean?"

Now, it was Adam's turn to laugh. With a smirk, he hunched his back slightly, held his hands up, and wiggled his fingers at her like he was telling her a ghost story. "You do realize I'm half-alien, right?" He ran his fingers up the side of her neck to give her chills and she shrieked as she pushed him away playfully.

The prince laughed again loudly and she joined in. She then wrapped her arm around his back as they continued to express their mirth and led him to the mattress on the side opposite of her brother. They both sat down and propped their backs against the wall.

As soon as their chuckles died down, a commotion on the street was heard far below. Ashlyn and Adam widened their eyes at one another. They had a hunch on what was going on.

Daniel, however, didn't have a clue. "What the…" he started, but Ashlyn shushed him almost immediately. Slowly, Adam and she got onto their knees and peered over the ledge. As suspected, it was the Guard. Adam could see Teela and Man-at-Arms at the lead of the group, and he lowered himself again quickly.

Daniel and Leslie also looked over the ledge, and when they saw the large number of guardsmen, they dropped back down to the mattress. Daniel then stared at his sister in annoyance and asked abruptly, "What did you do? What's going on?"

Adam and Ashlyn glanced at each other briefly. "She didn't do anything," muttered Adam; "It's what I did."

=)=)=)

Teela and Man-at-Arms didn't waste any time telling the troops what to do. They each had their own group and they gave the command simultaneously, "Everyone spread out, search everywhere, and ask questions! We must find the prince!"

As the Guard complied, Teela turned to her father and asked, "Do you really think we're going to find him here? He probably left Eternos for all we know."

Man-at-Arms shrugged and said, "I think he followed that girl somewhere, so more than likely, he's still in the city…but I also know Adam is extremely intelligent. He's going to pick a location where we won't think to look." He looked up at the sky and at several buildings. He muttered to himself, "Adam, what are you thinking and where are you?"

=)=)=)

Daniel grimaced as Adam spoke. "What's going on?"

The prince sighed and said, "I ran off from the palace to come here. My parents are being…overprotective. They think Ashlyn and you are bad influences, so they forbade me to see any of you. I didn't take too kindly to it, so I left..."

Ashlyn immediately joined in, not giving her brother time to speak. "Not to mention, there was this sassy guard trying to tell him what to do. So, he put her in her place and did the exact opposite of what she wanted and came with me!" She glanced at Adam and exclaimed, "Well done!"

He turned crimson and replied, "Well, I didn't really come to defy Teela. Now that you mention it, though, it does kind of look that way." He got to his knees again and looked over the edge of the building again to see if he could see her. When he did, he continued, "I just…wanted to get away for a while. I wanted to just be me for a change." He sat down again and looked at Daniel. "I promise you won't get into trouble. I won't let anyone blame either of you for my actions. I'll be the one to pay the consequences."

"That hardly seems fair," both siblings said at the same time.

When Adam raised a brow, Ashlyn cried, "It's unfair that they expect you to not have friends. It's crazy that they've sent guards to look for you. They know you are with me, and I do believe you could take me if I had something sinister in mind to capture you. Surely, they know that."

Adam chuckled with little mirth and replied, "I don't think this has anything to do with my safety. This has to do with…following orders and keeping up with appearances. Image is very important to Royalty. We have personas we must portray and Father already believes I'm not living up to mine. That probably makes my current actions deplorable to him."

Daniel looked at Adam sympathetically and reached out to squeeze his shoulder. "So, your plan is to have a normal day…just once."

Adam didn't think of it that way until Daniel said it, but he found himself nodding. "I guess so. I'd like for it to happen more often, but once might be all I'm able to get after today."

Ashlyn leaned on Adam and said, "Then, we need to make it special, a day you'll never forget."

"It's already that."

She smiled as she stood and extended her hand. He looked at it for a second and Ashlyn laughed. "I'm not going to bite, Adam. I just want to talk to you privately for a moment."

He stood and grabbed her hand. Immediately, she pulled him to the side of the building to an area he hadn't seen before. At this location, there was an old couch that looked to be years old. It had holes in it and it seemed to have been exposed to the weather quite a few times. She pushed him down onto it and sat beside him.

Fidgety, he asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

She grabbed his hand and whispered, "I just wanted to get you over here by ourselves."

"Why?"

"I want to do something I've wanted to do since we last kissed." Instantly, she got to her knees on the couch and straddled Adam's legs, facing him. The prince widened his eyes in larger proportions than she had ever seen as she pressed her body against his tightly.

"Ashlyn!" he exclaimed in shock.

Before the prince could say more, she pressed her lips against his aggressively. Almost at once, Adam started to stand so he could slide her off of him, but as soon as he pushed himself forward to plant his feet on the ground, Ashlyn lifted herself slightly, wrapped her legs around his waist, and pushed herself even closer to him.

When Ashlyn pulled her mouth from his to allow them time to breathe, he gasped almost desperately, "Ash!" His arms slipped around her back subconsciously as he gulped in air.

In response to his cry, she started moving her body against his slightly and consistently and kissed him again. Adam's laryngeal prominence bobbed up and down frantically…He hardly knew what to do. A woman had never come onto him _this_ aggressively before. Sure, some had kissed and flirted with him, but none had ever wrapped their legs around him and brushed against him in places that were strictly forbidden. His legs were now wobbly and he knew he'd fall if he stood.

" _Oh my…_ " he thought to himself.


	16. Ashlyn and Stefen's Moves

Against Nature Chapter 16

So many emotions and feelings tore through Adam at that moment. First and foremost, he couldn't help but notice that Ashlyn's actions felt good. The way she kissed him—her lips pulling and sucking on his—left him panting, and the way she moved her body against his almost made conscious thought leave his mind. He was having trouble concentrating on anything but the feelings she was producing in him…

Luckily, one emotion kept him from completely forgetting himself, and that was fear. He wasn't quite sure why he was afraid: he knew he could stop Ashlyn at any time. After all, he was bigger and stronger, so he could tear her away from him…but he felt almost paralyzed by her actions.

"Adam," he heard her whimper as she grinded her lower body onto his and he responded with a gasp of his own, closing his eyes temporarily, as jolts of pleasure shot throughout him. For a moment, he did forget himself: he wrapped his arms more tightly around her and moved his body against hers to intensify the pleasure they were both obviously feeling.

When they both moaned, Adam opened his eyes to attempt to regain control of his actions but was immediately met with the sight of creamy white skin, hazel eyes, and mesmerizing red hair. He found himself losing control completely and gasped, "Tee—" He caught himself. He realized what he had almost said, whose name he had almost called out…

And, at the moment, a panicked yell interrupted them. "Ashlyn! Adam!"

Both turned their heads to see Daniel and Leslie running toward them frantically. Adam was a little worried that he was about to get into a fight, considering Ashlyn's brother was running to them, and he had Daniel's little sister in his lap and they had been clearly making-out hot and heavy. He blushed at the thought but quickly stood so Ashlyn could slide down his body and he could be free if he had to defend himself.

Fortunately, Daniel didn't seem to be too bothered by what they had been doing. Not waiting for anyone to ask what was wrong, he announced, "There are several Windraiders flying over the city! They're stopping on roofs to explore them and one is heading this way right now!"

Ashlyn gasped and Adam listened for the sounds of a Windraider and could hear it distinctly. There was one close by. "Let's get down!" he yelled. "Hurry!"

Everyone ran to the back of the building and they all gestured for Adam to go first. He shook his head.

Daniel pushed on him and exclaimed, "They're after you! You're the one who needs to get down the most!"

He shook his head and replied, "I've never gotten down from here before. I need you to show me how. Besides, one of us needs to be up here and one needs to be down there to help the ladies." Everyone started to argue at once, but Adam yelled, "We don't have time to argue! Let's just do this!"

Acquiescing, Daniel climbed over the edge of the building and made his way down. Adam followed his movements with his eyes and was a little nervous as he watched him slide his body down the bricks and catch himself on the windowsills with his feet. It was very dangerous because if Daniel fell backwards as he was sliding down, there was nothing there to catch himself with. He would fall onto his back and land on the pile of boards and stones far below.

He was relieved when Daniel got down safely and jumped onto the pile. Adam then nodded to Leslie and said, "You're next." He assisted her from the roof, bent over the edge of the building, and held onto her until her feet touched the windowsill below him. She was on her own after that, but just like Daniel, she proved that she had done this many times before. She hurriedly made her way down the building and jumped into her boyfriend's arms.

Adam heard the Windraider getting closer and closer, so he quickly turned to Ashlyn and whispered, "Hurry! They'll be here soon!" Almost immediately, she kissed Adam on the lips and smiled at him when she pulled away. She then climbed down the roof's ledge and just like he had done with Leslie, he assisted her until she planted herself firmly on the first windowsill. He watched until she jumped safely onto the pile and into her brother's arms.

"Come on, Adam!" yelled Ashlyn, and he immediately heard a loud noise behind him. He turned back to see a lot of dirt from the roof being blown into the air. He knew what that meant: a Windraider was landing. Quickly, so he wouldn't be spotted, he climbed down the edge of the building and planted his feet firmly on the windowsill below him just as the others had done.

=)=)=)

King Randor paced the throne room and grumbled angrily as he looked at the chronometer on the wall. He had a meeting in five minutes…a very important meeting, and yet, he couldn't bring himself to leave the throne room. He wanted word on Man-at-Arms' progress. Had they found Adam yet? Was he okay? These thoughts and more consumed his every thought.

Despite that, he wasn't surprised when the lieutenant stepped into the room. "Sire," he said, walking to him hesitantly. The soldier knew Prince Adam was missing and that the king was on edge. "King Garn has arrived for your appointment."

Randor sighed and said, "Thank you, Lieutenant. I'll be there shortly." The king rubbed his eyes and shook his head. He wanted wholeheartedly to cancel the meeting, but Garn was a potential new ally. Deep in the jungle, there were two cities almost everyone on Eternia had been unaware of: Operon and Targa. He-Man had told him of these two places months ago and about Garn, who he had helped rise to power in Targa, after they had both been kept prisoner and had to participate in gladiator-like games. Of course, Garn's captivity had been a lot longer than He-Man's, but despite this, he was supposedly a good man. He-Man had suggested that he should establish a rapport with Garn, stating that the new king would be a valuable asset to the Eternia's united kingdoms, especially at times of war with Skeletor. So, he had set about doing just that, and this was to be their first meeting.

Sighing, he turned to Marlena and Stefen. "I can't cancel," he stated as if they had asked him to do so. He glanced at the chronometer one more time and asked, "Marlena, can you stay and wait for word on Adam? If something happens, please send word to me immediately. I'm sure Garn would understand if it concerned the well-being of our son."

"Of course, Randor," she answered.

The king then eyed his brother for a moment and stated, "I suppose you're free to do what you want. I would appreciate it, though, if you would think of possible places that the Guard could check to look for my son."

Stefen nodded. "I'll try my best, brother. I'm not sure where to look, but I'll definitely think about it."

With those words, Randor felt little hope and rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache. "That's all I can ask for," he stated reluctantly.

He then looked at Marlena again and she quickly walked over to him, kissed him on the lips briefly, and said, "Good luck."

"Thanks," he replied before kissing her back and then walking out of the room.

=)=)=)

Adam winced as he slid his body down the bricks of the building. His clothes weren't made to be worn during times of hard labor, so it provided his skin little protection from the building's rocky surface. Ashlyn, Daniel, and Leslie's clothes were made of a thicker and rougher material, so he doubted that they had the problem he was currently having. Regardless, he had to ignore it and keep moving.

As soon as he reached the first windowsill, he bent as best he could and then slipped his body down so that his feet could reach the next windowsill. He had just touched his toes to the surface when debris suddenly fell into his face and he felt his fingers sink through what now felt like chucks of sand and small pebbles.

He widened his eyes in panic and caught a lot of dirt in them as he remembered how flimsy the building had been when he climbed up—he had worried about it crumbling beneath him then. He closed his eyes and coughed as he tried desperately with both his hands to grab onto a harder part of the ledge but came up short. Huge pieces were now breaking off under his fingers and Adam instinctively slammed his body against the building as best as he could. Instantly, he was sliding down rapidly and he heard Ashlyn, Daniel, and Leslie scream loudly from far below.

Quickly, his left foot caught on the next windowsill and just as Adam had a glimmer of hope that he could catch himself in that one second, that surface, too, gave way. And, because he had popped onto the ledge with his one foot roughly, the momentum pushed him away from the wall's surface, so he bounced outward from the building and found himself falling backwards as he had feared would happen to Daniel earlier.

Waving his arms out frantically, he tried to catch something, anything that came near his grasp. As he fell for what felt like miles but was actually only a few feet, his underarm came in contact with an old flag poll that stretched from the building. He cried out in pain as he felt his shoulder blade fight against the downward pull of gravity when his body came in contact with the rod. Despite this, he latched onto the pole with his other arm and wrapped his legs around it, as well.

Sighing in relief when his falling had ceased, he opened his burning eyes and looked around. He was still over twenty feet in the air, and this time, his back was towards the ground and he was several feet out from the building. Giving himself a moment to rest, he merely hung on, but then he started using his feet and arms to move down the pole back towards the building…

…until he heard a heart stopping sound.

It was the loud creaks of metal bending and he lifted his head up towards the building to see the pole bending at its base. It even seemed like the base, itself, was being pulled out of the wall because of his weight. "Ancients!" he yelled, not knowing what to do to get himself out of this predicament.

He continued to hear his friends' screams from below and he suddenly knew what he had to do. "Run and get help!" he yelled. "The Guard is on the main road! Go!"

He heard feet scurrying away, but then he felt and saw the pole bend even more. Instinctively, he reached his injured arm back and grabbed the Sword of Power. Despite the weight of the weapon and the pain it shot down his arm, he held onto it and stretched it above his head.

"Adam, what are you doing?" he heard Ashlyn scream from below. He widened his eyes, suddenly realizing she was still there. At that moment, the base broke from the wall even more and it was only hanging on by one screw that was bending.

He didn't have a choice. He looked downward as best as he could, saw that it was only Ashlyn, and yelled, "By the Power of Grayskull!"

=)=)=)

King Stefen sat on the steps of the throne and looked lost in his thoughts. He was…but his thoughts were not of Adam as one might suspect. Instead it was on Randor and Marlena.

He was jealous, insanely jealous. The more he saw his brother and sister-in-law together, the more he realized just how much in love they really were. He wished wholeheartedly that he had been able to achieve that kind of love with Liana. Of course, at that moment, he believed that would have been impossible with her. He compared his wife to Randor's, and to state the honest truth, he found Liana wanting.

Marlena didn't mind showing Randor affection in public. She had a kind and gentle nature. Even with Adam's recent behavior, she remained calm and coolheaded, but she also supported Randor's decisions in their son's punishment. He was pretty sure she didn't find Adam's actions to be quite as alarming as Randor did, but despite that, she supported him, at least in public and that's where it counted the most.

As for Liana, she never wanted to show any type of affection in public. She claimed it was undignified. And, just like a person who didn't like to show affection, she sometimes seemed cold and unfeeling. Everything was black and white to her. There was no need in showing any emotions to her people…or her husband. And, if she disagreed with him, she had no problem pointing it out and fighting with him no matter how embarrassing it was.

No, Liana was no Marlena…and he was envious of Randor's life. He had an amazing, beautiful wife; the High Kingship; and a wonderful son. His thoughts turned to Dal—he was a good boy for the most part, but he was his mother's son. He was a little arrogant, boastful, and proud at times: things that Adam clearly wasn't…even in this time of supposed rebellion.

Stefen sighed and he felt someone sit beside him.

"Thinking about Liana?"

He glanced beside him and saw Marlena sitting there. "Randor told you?" he questioned.

"Don't be mad," she replied; "Randor and I tell each other everything. Besides, your secret is safe with me."

He nodded. "I have no doubt of that. I don't mind that you know. And, yes, I was thinking about Liana. I suppose I should be thinking about Adam and where he might have gone."

Marlena reached over and patted his hand which rested on his knee. "It's okay. We'll find Adam, and even if we don't, I'm sure he'll show back up. He isn't running away, after all. Anyway, I just wanted to say if you need to talk about things, I'm willing to listen if you need a female perspective."

He smiled at her bitterly and said, "Yes, I think I'd like that. Perhaps you could help me understand why Liana would do such a thing with a mere commoner."

At Marlena's raised brow, he frowned and continued, "Not that there is anything wrong with commoners. It's just that this one was a mere farmer and a poor one at that. He did just enough to get by and no more. He's not a hard worker and I often saw him in the bars that I frequented. He bounced from woman to woman, so why would my wife want to be with such a man? I guess I need to take a look at myself and take my inventory. I must be a million times worse."

Marlena squeezed his hand and answered, "I don't know this man, so I can't answer that question with one hundred percent certainty, but I can tell you that despite your faults, you are a good man that shouldn't have been cheated on."

He scoffed. "Really, Marlena? We have hardly spent any time around one another. How do you know what I'm really like?"

She smiled and said, "I know you through recent observations and Randor."

At Stefen's questioning gaze, she chuckled a little and continued, "I feel like I've known you long before we actually met. Randor told me so many stories about you and the mischief you and he had always gotten into. Your adventures were quite amusing, even the ones that Randor doesn't think are funny." She shrugged. "But that's just kid stuff. What lets me know that you're a good man is how you treated your brother while you were growing up. All of your other siblings were fearful of Randor. They excluded him and stayed away, but you did the opposite. You included him in everything. Despite everyone's anxiety, you chose to be best friends with the future King of Eternia. I cannot tell you how many times Randor thanked the Ancients that you were there for him while growing up."

Stefen nodded a little and replied, "Yes, Randor and I had good times. There was no one I'd rather hang out with more." He then frowned and whispered, "But I didn't turn out to be such a good brother when our father disappeared." He stood and walked away.

Marlena followed him. "I won't lie to you. Randor was hurt when you and your siblings stayed away. He was angrier with you than the others because you were so close, but he's forgiven you. He understands that you needed to get away from the pain and all the memories here. He had wanted to do the same at the time, but he had obligations as the new king, so he couldn't get away like you could. He's told me these things many times. And, the fact that you're here now and that you feel guilty about your actions tells me you are a good man. Liana is the crazy one if she wants to leave this family, and you deserve better."

Stefen turned around and smiled at her. "Thank you, Marlena," he whispered.

She grinned. "You don't have to thank me. I'm just telling the truth."

At that moment, without prior thought, he reached out and took her by the wrist. Just as the queen looked down and back up at him questioningly, he pulled her towards him, wrapped his arms around her quickly, and kissed her passionately. He pressed his lips to hers insistently and tried to push his tongue into her mouth, but his efforts were stopped when Marlena pushed him away from her frantically.

Suddenly, he realized what he was doing. "Marlena," he gasped and took a step towards her again.

She instantly slapped him hard against the cheek. Her mouth trembled as she brought a hand to her lips. She stared at Stefen for a moment and then hurriedly left the room.

=)=)=)


	17. Dealing with the Unexpected

Against Nature Chapter 17

The last screw fell from the wall and He-Man found himself falling to the ground at a high rate of speed. He reached out and grabbed the flagpole that was going down with him. He flipped it and his feet downward and watched out for Ashlyn's location. Within moments, He-Man drove the long pole firmly into the pile of debris below him and slid down the pole to come face-to-face with Ashlyn.

She looked at him with obvious confusion and perhaps a little fear. "Adam?" she questioned. She reached a hand out to touch his face.

"Ashlyn," replied He-Man. "Look, you…"

She gasped as she heard him speak in a lower register. "He-Man?" she questioned. She had never met him before, but she had seen him so she knew who this man was supposed to be…but he was clearly Adam. She shook her head for a moment, then stared at him in awe, and asked, "Who are you, really?"

He swallowed roughly, not quite sure in what way she meant the question. "I'm Adam," he answered, going for the honest answer, "but you can't tell anyone…"

His words were cut short by the sounds of feet rushing down the alleyway. He looked in that direction before he glanced back at Ashlyn and whispered, "Go down the pile and hide."

"But Adam," she complained.

"He-Man," he corrected her with large eyes before he pointed to the ground below. "Unless you want the Guard to see you and probably escort you to my father, hide!"

Quickly, she did as asked, and He-Man jumped down from the pile to the other side where he would be visible to whoever came around the corner. Daniel, Leslie, Man-at-Arms, and Teela, along with several other soldiers, quickly came into view.

"Where are they?" cried Daniel and Leslie simultaneously as they looked up the side of the building and didn't see anyone.

Teela looked around anxiously whereas Duncan only stared at He-Man.

He-Man answered, "I helped Adam get down and they left, going that way." He pointed towards another alleyway which was away from Ashlyn. Immediately, the guardsmen ran in that direction, and Daniel and Leslie followed from behind.

Teela walked up to He-Man and stared at the building above them. "What was Adam thinking?" she questioned softly, almost to herself. Everyone seemed to be asking that recently. She then looked at He-Man and said, "I wish we had gotten here a little sooner. Adam ran away from the palace and we're under orders from the king to bring him back. It would have been so much easier if we had gotten here while you had a hold of him. He wouldn't have been able to escape then."

He-Man simply nodded, looked at Man-at-Arms briefly, and stated calmly, "Well, I hope you find the prince soon, then. I was unaware of your orders until now. I wouldn't have let them leave if I had known."

Duncan immediately walked up to him; it was obvious he was a little upset: his brow was creased and he frowned slightly. "Perhaps you can help us, He-Man. You can search with Teela and myself. If we don't find him soon, you can accompany us back to the palace, so we can come up with a better strategy."

He knew what Man-at-Arms was doing. He was trying to get him back within the palace walls. He shook his head and said, "I can't. I have other things I must do today. I'm sure Adam will turn up eventually. He always does."

Man-at-Arms glared at him sharply, but He-Man could tell he was trying for a blank expression as Teela looked at him quizzically. He knew she had to be wondering why her father was looking so hostilely at Eternia's Champion. That surely wouldn't make sense to her.

He found himself grinning, and he honestly couldn't help it. Here was Man-at-Arms, in front of the very person he was under orders to bring home, and he couldn't do it because no one recognized Adam and he couldn't divulge the big secret. He watched as Duncan gave up the fight for indifference and scowled at him.

"I'm afraid I must insist. We are under orders from the king and you are the one person who can achieve this quickly," he argued.

Teela gasped. "Father! He-Man said he can't! Surely you know he would help us if he could—he's proven that enough over the years!"

Duncan looked at his daughter and frowned. "I know that. I'm sorry, He-Man." His words sounded a little reluctant. He then looked in the direction that the soldiers went and continued, "Teela, why don't you see if you can help them find Adam? You know how he thinks, so you might be able to find a few hiding places that they can't. I'm going to talk to He-Man for a few seconds more."

"Yes, sir."

As Teela ran after the other officers, He-Man turned abruptly and began to walk away.

"He-Man!" Duncan called. He followed him and pulled on his shoulder when the hero didn't turn around. When he finally got him to stop and face him, the elder whispered, "It's time to change back into Adam and go home. The Ancients know you're digging quite a hole for yourself, so let's not make it worse, son."

He-Man stared at him for a moment and replied, "You know, Duncan, you're absolutely right. I am digging quite a hole for myself, so I might as well make all of this worth it. I haven't had a chance to really do anything, yet. I've only managed to hide from you and…" He trailed off, blushing.

"And, what?" Duncan questioned, with an inquisitive arch of his eyebrow.

"It doesn't matter. Look, I promise I'm not going to come home intoxicated. I'll even promise to be home before nightfall."

"Why should I believe you?" asked Duncan.

He-Man looked as if Man-at-Arms had stricken him. "What?"

"You heard me," he replied. "With your recent behavior, how do I know if you really mean it? Besides, look at what just happened! You're making decisions that almost got yourself killed!"

"I'm fine! And, when have I ever lied to you? I haven't lied about anything, nor will I."

Duncan sighed and countered, "You just lied to Teela a second ago. You told all of us that Adam went that way." He pointed in the same direction that He-Man had earlier. "It was mighty easy for you to lie then."

He-Man looked aghast. "You can't hold that against me! That was to protect my secret and you know it! What else could I have done? I had to say something! To hold that against me isn't fair!"

"Life isn't fair."

He-Man stared at Man-at-Arms and let out of groan of frustration. He paced a little and asked to no one in particular, "Why can't I ever get away from it all? Why do I always have to be the one…" He shook his head and didn't complete his thought. "Fine," he said quickly after a few more moments, "let's go back to the palace."

Duncan nodded and squeezed his arm, but before either could even take a step forward, a voice rang out from behind the pile of debris. "Absolutely not!" Both men watched in surprise as Ashlyn made her way to them.

She grabbed He-Man's hand and stated firmly, "You have no right to tell Adam what to do!"

Man-at-Arms' eyes shot to He-Man's in disbelief. There wasn't a doubt in his mind: Ashlyn knew Adam's secret!

=)=)=)

King Stefen gasped as he held his stinging cheek for a second and watched Marlena flee from the room. He had to stop her! He knew if he didn't, she would tell Randor what he had done and it would tear him and his brother apart forever! Not to mention, he'd be forced to leave Eternos! He couldn't bear that right now, so he quickly raced after her.

"Marlena!" he yelled as he followed her. "Please, wait!"

The queen glanced behind her and saw Stefen running towards her. She looked around the hall quickly to see if she could find some kind of weapon but nothing was handy, so she did the only thing she knew to do: she ran. She didn't know where she was going at first, but she soon realized she was instinctively heading to the conference room. " _Randor_!" she thought.

Just as she was about three doors down from the conference room, someone grabbed onto her arm. She tried to let out a horrifying scream, but it was only heard for a few brief seconds before Stefen put his hand over her mouth firmly. She tried frantically to bite him but could only pinch at his skin. Regardless, it hurt, so Stefen had to hold his cries in.

"Marlena!" he hissed in her ear. "Please don't do this!" To get out of the hallway quickly, he opened the first door he came to, prayed no one was in there, and dragged her inside. It was a storage room. Luckily, no one was in there and there was enough room to walk around comfortably.

He held her for a little longer and stated soothingly, "I only want to talk. Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you and I'm not going to try anything. I only want you to listen. Now, I'm going to let you go, but I don't want you to scream. Okay, Marlena?"

She nodded a couple of times, so he slowly removed his hand from her mouth and then let her go. He walked away quickly to give her some space and leaned against the door.

He stared at her worriedly as she ran to the back of the room to grab a broom before saying calmly, "I'm so sorry, Marlena. It was never my intention for that to happen. I would never try purposely to hurt you or my brother. What I did was a stupid mistake, and even though I know it's an unforgivable act, I hope you can forgive me anyway."

Marlena folded her arms protectively around her as she continued to clutch the broom and replied, "A mistake? A mistake is something you do inadvertently. This was not that. You can't accidentally kiss someone."

Stefen closed his eyes and groaned in frustration. "I wasn't thinking!" he protested; "Things have been really hard with Liana as you know, and I found myself comparing you to her. That's what I was really thinking about when you sat beside me in the throne room, but then you started complimenting me and…I don't know. The moment overwhelmed me, I suppose."

"So, you're saying it's my fault because I was being nice to you?" she scoffed sarcastically.

"No! Not at all! What I'm saying is that I was simply wishing I had been able to find a woman like you and I just got caught up in the moment…" He trailed off and looked at her pleadingly for a few moments. "Please, Marlena, don't tell my brother what I've done. I don't think I could bear losing another family member right now, and you know that's exactly what will happen. Please!"

Tears gathered in the queen's eyes as she grimaced and replied, "Do you know what you're asking of me? I tell Randor almost everything and to keep something like this from him…I don't know if I feel comfortable doing that."

Stefen took a step forward and Marlena quickly raised the broom. "Don't think I don't know how to defend myself. You got lucky when you grabbed me in the hall earlier, but I guarantee it won't happen again."

The king lifted his hands in surrender and replied, "I'm not going to attack you or anything else. I told you that already. Ancients! I merely want to beseech you to do this one thing and I'll never ask for anything else ever again! I let my emotions cloud my better judgment and I kissed you. I know it's inexcusable, but I don't want to lose my brother! Could you at least try to keep it from Randor…if not for my sake, then for his?"

Marlena sighed shakily and put the broom aside. She knew Stefen was right about one thing. The news of his brother's actions would hurt Randor deeply, and she knew what would happen: he would lash out at Stefen, and there was no telling what he might do. It could be anywhere from throwing him in the dungeon to banishing him from the kingdom. Randor would be well within his rights to do any of those things and more. The bottom line, though, was that he'd lose his brother and childhood companion. Sure, after Stefen had left Eternos all those years ago, they had lived separate lives, but it was bearable because the separation was a matter of location. For Randor to lose his brother for essentially forcing himself on her would be devastating.

She shook her head slowly and squeezed her eyes shut as she cursed silently. "Okay, I'll try," she agreed. She cautiously moved towards him and stated firmly with fire blazing in her eyes, "But if you ever try to touch me like that again, you won't have to worry about Randor!"

As King Stefen opened the door, he whispered, "I understand. Thank you." They both walked into the hall and immediately saw two maids walking around the corner. Neither believed the workers had seen their departure from the storage room, so they merely pretended that everything was normal and headed back to the throne room.

They didn't see the ladies' shocked expressions as they stared at the storage room door before turning to stare at the queen's and the visiting king's retreating backs.

=)=)=)

Randor smiled warmly at Garn as they laughed about the formalities of court. He had to admit it was quite refreshing to get the perspective of a man who wasn't born into royalty. To hear him describe the over-the-top traditions that he was expected to conform to—much like those of Eternos and every kingdom on Eternia—was both embarrassing and amusing. It was embarrassing because he was one of those sticklers for tradition, as well, but it was amusing because there were times when he hated all the pomp and circumstance, too, and thought it was a little uncalled for. Regardless, it was the life of a king that the people expected him to live up to, so he did.

As Randor began to talk about one of the traditions on Eternia Day, a brief noise out in the hallway interrupted him.

"What was that?" asked Garn, standing quickly and looking towards the door.

"I'm not sure," he replied and headed out to investigate. He wasn't sure, but he thought he heard Marlena. He couldn't tell what was said, but he knew her voice anywhere. He opened the door and looked around. No one was there.

He walked to the corner of the hall and saw two maids walking his way. "Did either one of you make or hear a noise just now?" he asked.

The two women shook their heads and answered, "No, Your Majesty."

He nodded and looked around one more time. He had a bad feeling. At that moment, he noticed Garn had stepped out of the conference room and scanned the hallway, as well. He sighed and looked back at the maids. "Would you two mind doing me a favor?"

The maids immediately widened their eyes in happiness. To do a favor for the king was an honor and something to brag about, so they exclaimed, "Yes, Sire!"

"Would you go to the throne room and make sure Marlena is there and okay? I'd really appreciate it. I'll be in the conference room, so just knock when you return."

"Yes, Your Highness!" they shouted eagerly and hurriedly scampered off.

The king then turned back to Garn, gestured towards the conference room, and said, "Now, where were we?" They walked back inside and shut the door.

=)=)=)

Randor sat inside the conference room and tapped his fingers nervously against the table. He didn't mean to be rude to Garn who was looking over a proposed treaty, which would make them allies if a war should ever arise against either one of their kingdoms, but he wished the maids would hurry up and get back.

He rolled his neck a few times slowly to pop it and sighed. He didn't know why he was so on edge recently. The situation with Adam surely wasn't helping nor was his paranoia about hearing Marlena's voice a few minutes ago. Truthfully, he noticed that all of this anxiety had started when his brother had arrived in Eternos, but he wasn't at all sure if that was the reason or if it was mere coincidence. He supposed it didn't matter, though: Stefen was leaving his wife and he apparently planned on making Eternos his home. At least he was getting his brother back despite the small angst it might cause.

At that moment, a knock was heard at the door. "Finally," he mumbled and went to answer it.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see the maids looking awfully nervous. "Is everything all right?" he questioned.

One of the maids looked at the other before she spoke, "I'm not sure, My Liege. We went to the throne room and no one was there."

Randor nodded and said, "It's possible she got called elsewhere. I'm sorry to have sent you on a fruitless errand."

The other maid spoke. "It wasn't so fruitless, Your Majesty. When we got back, we saw the queen."

Feeling that there was more to this since they were so out of sorts, he replied, "Oh, really? Where was she?"

"She came out of the nearby utility room…and she wasn't alone."

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Who was she with?"

Both women dropped their eyes to the floor and explained, "When we came around the corner heading back here, we saw Queen Marlena step out of storage room into the hall. King Stefen was close behind her. When they saw us, they simply acted normally and walked away."

Randor frowned as he contemplated their words, but eventually, he shook his head and said, "I'm sure they were simply putting something away. There's no reason to be concerned."

Both ladies looked up a little disbelievingly but replied, "Yes, Your Majesty." When the king gestured towards the door, they both left and closed it.

The king stared at the door and frowned for several long moments. He wasn't sure what to make of the maids' report, but one thing was for certain: he trusted his wife, and Stefen was his brother. He wouldn't believe for a second that there was something going on. As he had told the maids, he was sure it was something completely innocent.

He turned back around and plastered a smile on his face. "People with busy minds," he stated when Garn raised an eyebrow.

"No doubt," Garn replied.

King Randor sat back at the table and watched Garn pick up a pen to sign the agreement. With that obstacle out of the way, his mind supplied various reasons as to why Stefen and Marlena would be in a utility room together. Despite his best efforts to not think negatively, he began to see images that were not so innocent. He even remembered the day he had introduced Stefen to Marlena. His brother had gazed at his wife and had held hand for a longer time than was appropriate.

Shaking his head, he forced those thoughts from his mind. Bottom line, he trusted his wife. He didn't know if he could say the same about his brother, but he wouldn't doubt his wife for a second. Just to prove it to himself, he would watch them closely the next time they were together. He had no doubt in his mind that everything would be normal and any lingering anxieties that the maids had brought up would be laid to rest.


	18. Unwise Decisions

Against Nature Chapter 18

Man-at-Arms couldn't believe it! He absolutely could not believe it! Ashlyn knew Adam's secret, and He-Man stood before him now, holding the girl's hand like it was no big deal! He grimaced for a moment and turned to look in the direction that his daughter had gone. She surely didn't need to stumble upon this little scene. It would be bad on many levels, including her asking why Ashlyn seemed to be so interested in the Prince of Eternia and Eternia's Champion and they both seemed mighty interested in her!

He sighed. "May I suggest we avoid the displays of affection right now?" he snapped and gestured towards their hands. When they simply stared at him like he had two heads, he continued, "Fine. Wait until everyone comes back and Ashlyn gets the reputation of trying to cheat on Prince Adam with He-Man."

The pair quickly moved apart, but He-Man replied, "I don't know why anyone would think that. As far as anyone knows, Prince Adam isn't courting anyone and He-Man has never shown any interest in it either."

Duncan rolled his eyes. He had tried to stop himself but couldn't. "Well, it's obvious you two haven't heard the big buzz in the city since you were up on the roof doing only the Ancients know what!" He-Man immediately blushed, but Man-at-Arms kept going. "The citizens are almost beside themselves with the latest gossip: Prince Adam is courting a commoner. He has chosen among them, and they love it and it's spreading faster than wildfire. You should have known walking with Ashlyn and holding her hand through the streets would start some kind of rumor!"

He-Man looked down at the ground. "We weren't holding hands," he mumbled. "She had my arm." He didn't want to address Duncan's comment other than that. The truth was he had noticed the people's astonished looks, but he had attributed it more to the fact that he was among them than he had a commoner on his arm. He was reluctant to admit to anyone that the latter had crossed his mind. He simply hadn't cared at the time. He glanced at Ashlyn worriedly to see her reaction to the news. He was surprised to see that she didn't seem concerned at all.

Wanting to change the subject until he could talk to Ashlyn about this alone, he went back to their original topic. He changed his mind again, but he felt it was with good reason. "Duncan, I can't go back to the palace now. I have to discuss this new development with Ashlyn and…well, like I said earlier, I haven't—"

Man-at-Arms exploded, but he didn't yell. Instead he sounded extremely sad. "He-Man!" he admonished; "Can you think about anyone else besides yourself right now?"

He-Man's jaw dropped. He was surprised that Duncan could ask him such a question. All he had done for the last two years was think about others! He had ruined his reputation to protect his family and friends, so no one would find out that he was He-Man! He had caused a rift in his relationship with his father and pretended to be a coward, so he could once again protect others and turn into He-Man! He had put up with Teela's sassiness and insults to protect his secret, which once again protected others! He spent what little free time he had with Man-at-Arms, helping him test weapons and new devices which would again protect Eternia! He didn't have to do any of it! He could sit back and allow the Guard to handle all of these problems. He didn't have to lift a finger! The truth was he hardly did anything for himself! He glared at Man-at-Arms and spat, "I only think about myself? Did you really just say that to me after what I've been through for the past two years to protect Castle Grayskull and this planet? Did you really just say that to me?"

Duncan widened his eyes. Even if he wasn't yelling, neither Adam nor He-Man had ever spoken to him this way before. To calm things down, he lowered his own voice even more and replied, "That's not quite what I meant or said. Look, son, I know you have been through a lot. I know how hard it is being He-Man, but..."

"No, you don't!" He-Man stated firmly. "You have no idea! Your family and friends don't look down on you, because you have to make them believe you're someone less than noble! You don't live two separate lives that are constant and ongoing! You get breaks; I don't unless I make people angry like I'm doing now! You don't have to worry about slipping up and saying something that would reveal a secret every second of the day! You don't have to worry about messing up during a crisis and blaming yourself if something goes wrong on Eternia and you didn't stop it or even worse that you had caused it! Everything I have done for the past two years has been for the people of Eternia!" He-Man walked over to Ashlyn and picked her up in his arms. "You don't know what it's like at all, and quite frankly, I can't believe you would question if I had the ability to think of others when it's all I do. My question to you is if you ever take the time to think about Adam." With Ashlyn in his arms, He-Man ran and he was out of sight in an instant. There was no way Duncan could follow him.

=)=)=)

Marlena sat on the throne and leaned her head against the arm of her chair. She had no idea what she was going to do. She had told Stefen that she wouldn't tell Randor about his kissing her, but now that she was alone, she had to ask herself if she could really keep that promise. Ever since she had come to Eternia, Randor had been her confidant. She shared nearly everything with him and she didn't feel comfortable hiding anything from her husband.

But, she told Stefen she would. And, nothing in her reasoning had changed: it would hurt Randor if he knew his brother had betrayed him in such a way. She knew that's how Randor would view it, and she supposed it was a betrayal…but maybe what Stefen said was true. Maybe he hadn't been thinking. She had been complimenting him after they had discussed his wife leaving him, so maybe his actions were meant to express his gratitude at that time. Yes, it was a totally inappropriate way considering who they were, but she could somewhat understand it.

She sighed. If that really were the case and she told her husband what had happened, Randor would lose his brother over something that would not have happened otherwise and something that hadn't meant a thing. No, she wouldn't tell Randor. As much as it would kill her, she knew it was the right thing to do. She didn't want to be the cause of misery for her husband or his brother.

At that moment, the person consuming her thoughts walked into the room. "Randor," she stated with a grin as he walked up the throne.

"Where's Stefen?" he asked, glancing around the room and seeing he was not present.

Her smile disappeared. "I believe he's gone to his bedchambers. He wasn't feeling quite himself after you left," she answered.

Randor nodded, reached for his wife's hand, and pulled her to her feet. He then wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her passionately. The room seemed to rise several degrees in temperature and Marlena found herself clutching the back of Randor's robe so she wouldn't fall as her knees got weak.

When they pulled apart slightly, she breathed deeply and asked, "What was that all about? Did you miss me during that short period of time?"

"Of course I did, my dear. I always miss you when we're not together. Why do you ask? Were my actions really all that shocking to you?" He grinned mischievously at her.

She returned the grin as she tightened her hold on him and replied, "Not at all. It's just that you usually don't kiss me like that up here."

"Well, maybe I should start making a habit of it," he whispered as he kissed her again. Then, they heard the door open. Marlena started to pull away, but Randor held on as he saw his brother walk into the room.

"Oh, Randor!" exclaimed Stefen; "You're out of your meeting! How did things go?"

Continuing to hold on to Marlena, he replied, "It went well. Garn and I got to know each other a little and he signed the treaty."

His wife smiled again. "That's wonderful, my husband."

Randor turned his attention back to her, stared into her eyes intently, and then gently kissed her one more time before letting her go. She sat back down and Randor took his seat.

=)=)=)

Stefen watched the Royal Couple of Eternia kiss and refrained from grinding his teeth together as they sat down. A feeling that he had earlier when witnessing a similar event came over him again: jealousy. It almost blinded him in its severity. He couldn't deny it anymore, no matter how badly he wanted to…

He wanted Marlena. He wanted her so badly that it was almost a physical pain. And, the brief contact that he had with her only whetted his appetite. Her lips were so soft and full that he could imagine playing with them for hours in various different ways. The memory of the firmness of her body and the swell of her hips as he had pulled her to him flashed in his mind's eye, and he knew the remembrance would keep him up for several nights to come.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to control himself. It wouldn't do any good to have these thoughts right now. Marlena didn't want him, and his brother—her husband—was before him now. It wouldn't be wise to have such thoughts, but he honestly couldn't help it. His mind drifted again and he wondered if Marlena had met him instead of Randor the day she had crashed onto Eternia, would they have fallen in love and gotten married instead? It was something to contemplate. It was a thought that made him regret his decision to leave Eternos all those years ago. At the very least, he would have been with Randor when she had crashed, and he knew back then, he would have been the more appealing brother.

He supposed it didn't matter, though. The past was in the past and no one could change it. And, if he really wanted to reestablish his relationship with his brother, he couldn't lust after Randor's wife.

But, she was worth it if he could get her to look twice at him. Perhaps with the right persuasion and given enough time, he could get her to…

He shook his head and forced the thought from his mind. He needed to get out of the palace and clear his head. He thought of a legitimate excuse to leave and addressed his brother. "Randor, I would like to go out and search for Adam myself. Is that all right with you?"

Randor looked hopeful. His brow rose slightly and he asked, "Have you thought of some locales where he might be?"

"No, but I'd like to try to find him anyway. I'm getting worried since he hasn't shown back up yet."

"So am I," the king admitted. He glanced to the window and then nodded. "Yes, go. Try to find my son, but take a comlink with you. I don't want you to run into any trouble while you're out there and most of the guard is already out looking for him, so I don't have many to spare to accompany you."

"I'll be fine, but I will take a comlink. Thank you, Randor."

The king smiled genuinely at his brother and replied, "No, thank you."

=)=)=)

He-Man sped into the Evergreen Forest. They were there within minutes of leaving Man-at-Arms, and Ashlyn gasped as he placed her on her feet once he stopped. "By the Ancients!" she exclaimed softly to herself. She looked around at her location and then turned around to see the Eternian Palace in the far distance. She glanced back at He-Man and shouted, "THIS IS AMAZING! YOU ARE AMAZING!"

Immediately, He-Man lowered his eyes in embarrassment and said, "Not really, I just ran really fast."

She nodded and said, "Well, yeah! Duh, faster than anyone on the entire planet! What else can you do? Jump higher and farther than anyone on the planet, too?"

He eyed her curiously for a moment. "I suppose so."

She grinned mischievously and cried with glee, "We have _got_ to take advantage of this!"

"What do you mean?"

She eyed him oddly for a moment. She looked slightly surprised when she arched her left eyebrow and her lips parted slightly. "You can't honestly tell me that you haven't taken advantage of this!" she replied excitedly. "Have you—I don't know—used your powers to have fun? The Ancients know I would once in a while. In fact, I'd do it all the time!"

He-Man was truly confused. "How would I do that?" he questioned. He never in his life considered the possibility of having fun with his powers. He didn't even see how that was possible.

Ashlyn gaped at him but then shook herself. "Oh, Adam…"

"He-Man," he corrected.

"We're in private," she complained as she pouted her lips at him. "I prefer calling you Adam."

"Well, you can't get in the habit of calling He-Man 'Adam.' That would have disastrous consequences if you ever slipped up and did it in front of someone. I'd rather not face that ever," he explained.

"Okay, _He-Man_ ," she agreed finally. "Anyway, what I was going to say was that you are soooo lucky that we met!" She jumped a little and twirled as she said this.

He grinned a little at her exuberance. "Oh, really? Why is that?"

"Because I'm going to show you how to live a little and use those powers of yours!"

He-Man laughed loudly and replied, "Ashlyn, I don't think you could show me anything that I don't already know. I doubt you've ever had powers like mine, and I've been He-Man for two years and…"

"Well, we'll just see then," she interrupted. She looked slightly offended, but he could tell she was playing with him. She then brushed her fingers across He-Man's bicep as she walked behind him. She jumped on his back, wrapped her legs around his waist, and held onto his shoulders. "Why don't we run to Helena Ravine?"

When He-Man peered over his shoulder to look at her questioningly, she grinned and said eagerly, "Trust me."


	19. Confessions and Revelations

 

Against Nature Chapter 19

She was thrilled that he wanted to leave the room. Try as she might, she couldn't control her reactions to her husband's brother: currently, she had seemingly picked up the habit of watching Stefen's every move when he was in her presence.

She wished she hadn't been paying attention.

King Stefen wore his thoughts on his sleeve, and it left her in turmoil. After Randor had kissed her before they took their seats upon the throne, Marlena had seen the look that had crossed her brother-in-law's face: he had seemed angry. Or, maybe it had been jealousy?

Either emotion didn't comfort her, and the fact that he sought to leave their presence—even though she was very grateful for it—after giving them such a displeasing look told her that despite his protestations to the contrary, there was something going on in his mind…something that dealt with her, something that had made him kiss her, and something that he could hopefully learn to manage or forget about.

She cringed as she heard her husband thank him.

The irony of that thanks, given what had happened less than an hour ago, did not escape the queen. Randor didn't need to be thanking his brother for anything. The temptation to tell him what had happened earlier nearly overwhelmed her, so she bit her tongue to stop herself as Stefen left the room.

She took a long, soothing, and cleansing breath and tried to rid her mind of her current thoughts. The best way to do that was to rationalize them away. The first thing she needed to remember was that she wasn't a mind reader. So, Stefen had given them an awkward look after he had seen them kiss. So what? It didn't mean he wanted to break up their marriage. And, even if he had been jealous, that was understandable. He was going through a divorce and he wanted what Randor had.

She cringed again as she realized what she had just thought. As a result, she then told herself repeatedly that Stefen didn't want _exactly_ what Randor had. He simply wanted his own version of what his brother had…

But of course, Stefen, himself, wasn't helping that notion. He had his own family to worry about, but instead of being concerned about Dal—his parents were separating, which would be devastating to a child—he was worried about Randor's son. He was out there searching for Adam. She then realized with a start that he was the one who had started all of this with Adam! He was the one who introduced Adam to Ashlyn! He was the one who encouraged Adam to rebel! He was the one who put her in such a dilemma!

"I don't want him to have anything to do with my son," she realized earnestly. She wished wholeheartedly now that she had agreed when Randor had said something similar only a day ago.

Then she heard a voice interrupt her thoughts. "What did you say, my dear?"

Marlena turned a startled expression upon her husband and gasped, "What?"

Randor reached his hand out and she took it firmly. "You just said you don't want him to have anything to do with your son," he repeated. "Who are you talking about? Stefen?"

Now, she knew for certain that her secret was driving her slightly crazy. She was clearly showing signs that she felt guilty about what had happened: she couldn't believe she had spoken aloud! Maybe subconsciously she was setting herself up so she could tell him! If only she hadn't seen Stefen's expression! She could have gone on blissfully ignorant that there had been more to his actions than he had claimed! But maybe she was over-thinking things. Maybe she was being paranoid about what she thought she saw…but then again, maybe she was right.

Tears gathered in her eyes. "I don't know what I'm doing," Marlena sobbed, truthfully, as she let go of Randor and buried her face in her hands. She hadn't cried since Skeletor and Hordak had kidnapped Adora when Adam had brought her home, and just as many tears now flowed.

Quickly, she found herself in Randor's warm embrace. "Marlena?" the king questioned worriedly. His wife never cried at a drop of a hat. "What's wrong? Please tell me!"

=)=)=)

She felt like she was flying. The wind was whipping in her face, pushing her hair out of the way, and she was traveling faster than she ever had in her entire life! She didn't worry about falling because she trusted him. She released her hold on He-Man's shoulders and stretched her arms out to feel the sensations even more. Immediately, she let out a "Woo Hoo!" as He-Man jumped over a log and they sailed in the air for a little bit. She began to laugh when she had to latch onto his neck when his feet touched the ground again and the jolt involved jarred her slightly. He-Man joined her in her merriment and laughed, as well.

Before she knew it, though, they were at Helena Ravine like she had suggested and He-Man kneeled down so she could easily place her feet on the ground. Ashlyn didn't really want to let go at that point, but she did anyway. "That was amazing," she said as she walked in front of He-Man as he stood again.

"So you keep saying," he said with a soft smile. He looked around and walked to the edge of the ravine, which was really more of a gorge. After staring down at the river far below for several seconds, he turned back and asked, "Why did you want to come here?"

"I thought it might be fun," she answered, walking up to him to also look down at the water. At his inquisitive eyes, she stated, "Oh, come on! You mean, despite having all these powers, you've never dived off this ravine or any mountains? I think the feeling and rush would be exhilarating!"

He-Man widened his eyes to express his shock at her idea of fun and replied, "Uh, no, I've never jumped off any ravines or mountains unless I had to when saving someone's life! To do it recreationally, I don't see how that would be fun."

Ashlyn flipped her hair from her face so she could see him better and clarified, "If you're busy trying to save someone, you didn't have your mind on experiencing the drop. To be completely out of control, doing something dangerous, and knowing you won't die from it is invigorating, don't you think?"

He frowned as he thought about her words for a moment. They killed the good mood he had been trying to achieve since he had left Eternos. He had wanted to forget about the argument he just had with Man-at-Arms, and he had wanted to forget that he had just screwed up majorly in regards to his secret. He had wanted to focus on having fun like Ashlyn said she wanted, but her crazy idea to achieve it was making that desire completely impossible. She was already letting her knowledge of his being He-Man get to her head in a bad way!

To answer her question and hopefully to wake her from her stupor, he countered, "No, it's frightening. Even in this form, it's frightening. I get scared all the time despite the fact that I never let it show as He-Man. It's not natural to jump off buildings and punch down walls, so I have the same reactions that I would if I were Adam at those times…I still amaze and startle myself sometimes." He paused and continued, "But, it doesn't really matter. I've had my fill of falling from high places today. That's what got me into this mess." He walked away and sat down on a large boulder. He hoped he had made his point.

"What mess?" she asked as she followed him.

She latched on to a different topic than he had wanted her to. He-Man scratched his head for a moment, sighed, and then lifted the Sword of Power. There was no chance for a good mood now, and he did need to talk to her about this. "Let the power return," he stated and Ashlyn shielded her eyes from the light as He-Man became Adam. Once he put his sword where it belonged, he stared at her and replied, "I didn't want to show you that I was He-Man today. It's forbidden—you're not supposed to know, but I didn't have a choice."

She furrowed her brow and asked, "Why am I not supposed to know?"

After several moments of preparing his next words, he answered, "It's dangerous to know the truth. If Skeletor ever found out, he would hurt you and my loved ones just to get at me. Only a select few know, not even my parents, and now you're one of them. It's a mess because it's one more person I have to worry about. It's…"

"I would never tell anyone, Adam," she interrupted as she sat on the boulder next to him.

He pulled out a weed that was growing out of a crack in the rock they were on. He started fiddling with it and replied, "You might not mean to. That's just something I naturally have to worry about. Not to mention, what if you get angry with me? You now know something very important about my life and…" He was too nervous to say any more than that.

"Do you really think I'd purposely endanger you like that?" she asked, unbelievingly. "You believe I'm that petty?"

He shrugged. "We don't really know each other, Ashlyn. I enjoy hanging out you—I like getting to know you, but what you learned today was far beyond what I wanted to share at this time."

She stared at Adam blankly and asked, "So, what does that mean concerning _us_?"

"Us?" he repeated, feeling his stomach clinch at the new change of topic.

Ashlyn groaned in frustration and said, "I know you're aware of the attraction you and I share! It's so intense, after all. I think I made it pretty obvious that I like you…and I thought you liked me, but if you hate that I know your secret, that says something else entirely."

He stood and walked away from her. He had avoided this topic since he had realized she liked him, but now he had to face it. He had to give an answer. He turned around and said decisively, "I do like you, but…" He trailed off, not knowing how to continue. How could he explain?

"But you're in love with someone else," Ashlyn supplied softly.

He widened his eyes and gasped.

She didn't give him the chance to respond. She plowed ahead with her words and continued, "I'm not blind, Adam. The first night I kissed you at Madelia, I knew you were upset because that redheaded soldier saw us." She blew out a brief puff of air. "Before that, you didn't even relax into our kiss until I kept at it. Then, on the roof today when I was kissing you, I heard you almost call me…what did you say her name was? Tina? Tee-ra?"

"Teela," he supplied in calm shock.

She nodded. "Yeah, Teela, that was it. So…yes, I know…about the other girl."

Adam fidgeted as he returned to the boulder to sit down. They sat there silently for a several minutes. Finally, she had enough and glanced at him. He looked very upset. "Adam?" she questioned and brought a hand to his face to get him to look at her.

"I'm sorry," he said abruptly when his eyes finally met hers. Tears filled them. "I don't know what happened. I should have never…I just enjoyed our friendship. I've never had a friend like you before, and I didn't want to lose that. I thought naively that if I ignored the attraction and focused on our friendship only, things would be okay, but..."

"So, you admit that there is an attraction between us?" she asked, interrupting his train of thought to purposely change the direction of the conversation. She wanted him to acknowledge what was between them.

"Of course, there is," he answered, "but that doesn't mean I should have let things go as far as I did."

Ashlyn rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, "Oh, Adam! You are so innocent!"

He looked shocked. "What?" he gasped.

She got up and turned to face him to explain, "First of all, if I knew of your feelings for someone else and I continued to pursue you anyway, then you didn't do anything wrong. I knew what the deal was the entire time. Number two, we haven't really done anything. So, we've kissed and made-out a little...but I was the aggressor. That isn't far in the grand scheme of things. The truth is I'd do it all over again. In fact, you should probably be mad at me because I'm purposely enticing you in such a way. I'm tempting you, Adam. If anyone is the guilty party, it's me."

His jaw dropped and she couldn't help but laugh.

"See what I mean about you being innocent? I was seducing you and you didn't even know it! But I like that about you!"

Adam couldn't come to terms with what she was saying. "But…but…" Finally, he shook his head and blurted, "But if you knew I loved someone else, why would you want to pursue a relationship with me? Why would you want to kiss me? Shouldn't that have been a big turn-off? Shouldn't the fact that I allowed it to happen be a turn-off?"

She shook her head at him and whispered, "Let me ask you this, Adam: are you and Teela courting?"

He shook his head dejectedly.

"No," she answered aloud for him. "And, correct me if I'm wrong, but I never saw any signs that she returned your feelings. It simply looked like she was carrying out her job to me, but you know her better than I do. Did she take you from Madelia and yell at you in the courtyard because she has feelings for you or was she attempting to do her job?"

He swallowed roughly and answered miserably, "She was doing her job."

Ashlyn nodded again. "Then, why should I not pursue you? You're not with anyone. Sure, you have feelings for someone else, but clearly, that relationship isn't going to occur! Should you be alone for the rest of your life? You can't do that! You'll be king one day and have to produce heirs!"

That made Adam look up and widen his eyes at her.

She chuckled and continued, "And, why should you feel guilty for allowing me to kiss you? You've made no commitment to anyone. You may love her, but you like me. You have feelings for me, too. She may be more favorable at the moment, but I have as much claim on you as she does. Besides, I even question her supposed advantage because you love her. I suspect you've known her for years and you've only known me for a short while. Isn't it possible that you could love me, too, given time?"

Adam opened his mouth. It looked like he was about to refute her words, but she interjected, "If you and I choose to court, that isn't an engagement. It's merely seeing if we want things to be more serious. That's what we've been doing this entire time. There's nothing wrong with that. Is there?" She paused, but before he could answer, she continued, "Don't answer that right now. Just think about it, okay? We'll continue to be friends as we are for now, but after a week or so, then you can give me your answer."

She smiled as Adam nodded timidly.

=)=)=)

King Stefen took an AttakTrak and drove it out of Eternos. He had to get away from the city to clear his head. He needed to do a lot of soul-searching.

" _She's my brother's wife. She's my brother's wife._ "

He kept repeating those words in his mind, but it didn't seem to be doing any good, yet. As soon as he turned his mind from its new mantra, he found himself thinking of her beauty, being jealous of Randor, and remembering their kiss.

"Well, no one can say I didn't try to stop myself," he mumbled as he looked around at the countryside to distract himself. He had to admit his brother had a beautiful kingdom. Dal said he preferred Dyperia, but he knew it was just pride talking. His brother's land had it all: lush forests, beautiful cities, quiet country towns, grassy plains, mountains, rivers, and lakes…

These were some of the good things about leaving Dyperia. He was home and he could enjoy all of this again.

As he neared a landmark called Helena Ravine, which he hadn't visited since he had been a child, he saw a sight that made him jump. Adam! He immediately hit the breaks since the AttakTrak was on its manual setting and opened the top. He got out of the vehicle and approached his nephew.

Ashlyn was with him, but the couple was very quiet. Each seemed to be lost in their own little world, and he knew something must have happened. Deciding to be of assistance, he stepped in front of them and said, "I hear a lot of people are looking for the two of you!"

Instantly, Adam jumped up but then sighed in relief when he saw his uncle and walked over to him. "Uncle Stefen," he exclaimed, "you scared me!"

"I'm sorry, my boy!" he replied with a smile. "I was just going for a ride and getting out of Eternos. I didn't plan on running into you."

Adam nodded and looked back at Ashlyn. He gestured for her to come and she immediately walked towards them. "Are you planning on going back to Eternos soon?"

He looked at the couple suspiciously and said, "I can if you want to."

Adam shrugged and said, "Well, we're in no rush, but it would be nice to have a ride when you do go back."

"Well, then," the king said, "please join me. I'm sure we can enjoy nature a little longer before heading back to the problems of the city."

"You can say that again," Adam mumbled.

Stefen cocked an eyebrow as Ashlyn smiled at Adam and then made her way to the AttakTrak. As she climbed inside, the prince immediately turned to him and whispered hurriedly, "We need to get Ashlyn back home as soon as possible. I need some advice and have to get it before I go home. I might not see people in a month after what I pulled today and I really need to know what I should do."

Stefen grinned and asked jokingly, "And, you can't talk about this with Randor?"

The boy opened his eyes widely and exclaimed, "Absolutely not! " He then lowered his voice and mumbled, "I wouldn't be comfortable, and the topic would be sensitive to a lot of people at home, so I can't really discuss it with them."

He squeezed his nephew's shoulder and replied, "So, I'm your man."

"If you will be," Adam confirmed.

He grinned at Adam, slipped a comforting and fatherly arm around his shoulders, and said, "I'll be glad to, son."

=)=)=)


	20. Covering the Truth

Against Nature Chapter 20

Randor pulled his wife up from her seat and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He knew something was dreadfully wrong, because Marlena rarely cried while on the throne...or anywhere, really. She only had in the past when something devastating had occurred. He knew whatever this was had to be worse than those occasions, because he didn't have an inkling as to what was wrong! Usually, she would have already told him by now—he wouldn't have had to ask. Her being so silent now spoke volumes to the king. "Please," he begged, "tell me what's going on."

Marlena buried her face in her husband's neck and tried noticeably to regain her composure for several long moments, but then she suddenly pulled away from him and turned around to wipe her eyes.

"Marlena?" he questioned again.

She glanced back at him for a second and then looked away.

At that moment, he felt as though his world was crumbling around him. He could never stand to see her upset and he knew she knew that! She knew he would do anything to keep her happy. So, why wouldn't she talk to him?

Then, he heard her voice, and he hoped she would finally open up.

"I'm okay, Randor," she whispered; "I'm just being silly. There's no reason to be concerned."

The king looked at her aghast. He couldn't believe her words! "Marlena, you're crying!" He stepped around her and tried to get her to lift her face up, but she continued to look at the floor. "I know something is wrong. You can barely even look at me! Did I do something wrong? Is that why you won't tell me? Please, my dear, if I've done something…"

His words were cut off by the queen's sudden actions: she lifted her head, wrapped both hands around Randor's neck, and pulled his lips to hers. She kissed him frantically and tried to pull him to her as close as she possibly could. "You've done nothing," she whispered when they parted for breath. "I just…" She paused as if she were debating whether she should tell him or not.

He waited for her to continue.

She looked into his eyes and opened her mouth to say something else but was interrupted. "Your Majesties," said Micah, running into the room. "We've just gotten word from King Stefen. He's found Prince Adam and is bringing him home!"

Randor let out a sigh of relief at the lieutenant's news and closed his eyes for a moment as he thanked the Ancients. He then looked back at his wife and remembered instantly that he needed to find out what was going on with her now.

He could tell she was struggling to look calm, and once she achieved this, she spoke: "Oh, thank God! That's what was wrong! I was so worried about Adam! I didn't want him out there alone, getting into trouble with those people. I'm so glad… _S-Stefen_ …is bringing him home."

Randor stared at his wife incredulously as she sat down in her seat again. Her words just didn't add up. With all the things that had occurred with Adam recently, she had been the calm one. She had been the one to beg him not to overreact.

But now she was crying because of it?

No, that didn't make sense at all. He frowned as he realized a horrible truth. Marlena was lying to him! He had always believed they told each other everything and never lied to one another! Why would that have suddenly changed? What happened?

Then, unbidden, the maids' report of what they had seen earlier drifted into his mind: Marlena and Stefen had come out of a storage room together. He then thought about how she had paused to say his brother's name only a few mere moments ago. " _No_!" he told himself resolutely. " _It's not that! It couldn't be_!" He looked back at his wife and resolved to discover the truth. He still believed to his core that she wasn't cheating, but he knew something was going on and he was determined to find out what it was.

=)=)=)

When King Stefen had called the palace and notified them that he had found the prince, Adam had thought his uncle had lost his mind…but now, he realized the man was a genius in a crazy sort of way. They were traveling the streets of Eternos and not a guard was in sight aside from the usual scattered patrolmen. Apparently, everyone had been called back to the palace, which meant they didn't have to avoid anyone, and once they dropped Ashlyn off, his uncle and he would have ample opportunity to talk before going home.

Within minutes, they pulled up to Ashlyn's home after she had told them where to go. She didn't live on the same streets as the merchants and other upperclassmen, but she didn't live in the slums of the city, either. She lived in a modest pale blue home that stood out from the brick-red colors of the palace and most business establishments in Eternos. It was one-story high with several windows—which appeared to be slightly dirty—that looked out onto the street. Small flower beds were under each window which gave the place a homey quality that he sometimes felt was missing in the palace. Everything was so proper there and in immaculate condition—it was like a museum. But Ashlyn's home looked lived in. It was a contrast that he actually liked and wondered what his childhood would have been like in a place like this instead of the sterile, bland environment he had been raised in.

He sighed, knowing his childhood and home wasn't as bad as his current thoughts were making them out to be. The truth was he was simply curious about the way Ashlyn and the others like her lived. But he knew he'd have to think about that later…

Instead of contemplating this, he exited the vehicle and extended his hand for her to grab as she stepped onto the ground. He escorted her to her door and said softly as they turned to face one another, "I know it didn't amount to much, but I wanted to say thank you for today, anyway. I enjoyed it aside from…almost killing myself."

"And, reprimanding Teela and fighting with Man-at-Arms," Ashlyn added, squeezing his hand tightly for a brief moment, looking sympathetic. "I know that had to be a downer, but you're welcome."

Making sure she knew his words were sincere, he stated firmly, "None of that is your fault, I assure you. I really did enjoy our time together."

She stood on the tips of her toes and kissed Adam lightly on the lips. When she pulled away, she whispered, "You will think about what I said, right?" At his nod, she continued, "I really think we could have something if you'd give us a chance."

He didn't really know how to respond yet, so he said simply, "Yes, well, I hope I'll be able to see you sometime in the near future. I don't know how that will happen after today, but…" He shrugged.

"We'll find a way," she assured him. "I'm pretty creative, and I know you are, too. Maybe King Stefen could be of some assistance."

He looked over at his uncle and smiled. "Yes, I'm sure that's possible." He looked back at her and then bowed formally as he took her hand. He gave it a kiss and announced, "Well, Lady Ashlyn, I'll take my leave now. I hope you had a good time despite the spontaneity and brevity of the outing."

"Yes, I did," she replied with her eyes twinkling. "You were there. That's enough to make any outing pleasant."

He grinned at her words and stated with a laugh, "You sure know how to make a guy feel good."

She winked at him slyly and said, "Remember that." She then opened her door, stepped inside, and watched him until it closed.

Once she was out of sight, Adam sighed, shook his head, and looked back at his uncle who was waiting in the AttakTrak. Now, it was time to make some decisions. Thankfully, he had some help.

=)=)=)

Adam climbed back into the AttakTrak and Stefen immediately grinned at him. "Well, that was such a heart-touching moment," he teased.

"What?" he asked, with a blush, despite knowing exactly what his uncle was referring to.

"You and Ashlyn," Stefen answered as he got the AttakTrak moving again, and then added, "But I must admit I am confused, though."

The prince nodded. He was confused himself, but the question was what had stumped his uncle. He hoped it wasn't on anything he needed help with, because he knew he'd be utterly lost then. Taking a deep breath, he replied, "There's a lot to be confused about. What has you so puzzled?"

The king shrugged. "Well, Ashlyn and you ran off together. Randor is furious. I thought you would have stayed out all day, but you've only been gone for several hours. I just thought you would have taken advantage of your hard-fought-for freedom."

He sighed. "Well, that was the plan." Stefen glanced over at him for a moment and then waited for him to continue, so Adam explained, "I…I have a lot to think about. I have a dilemma that I'd really like to discuss with you." He shook his head. "I just couldn't concentrate on staying out and having fun after everything that's happened."

"What's happened?"

Adam turned to look at his uncle and then asked abruptly, "Is there a place we can go to discuss this? I just feel weird talking about it while we're on our way back to the palace. I feel like I won't have enough time to tell you everything."

Stefen nodded. "Of course, I know just the place." Instantly, he turned down a side road and got them going in the opposite direction.

With several more turns down obscure streets that contained little people and more trash than he was accustomed to seeing on the streets, Adam found himself eventually on a main road going towards the same district Madelia had been in. He glanced at his uncle disbelievingly and exclaimed, "Don't tell me you know of another one that's open during the day!"

Knowing exactly what his nephew was talking about, Stefen laughed heartily and answered, "Yes and no. I do know of another bar, but this one is legal. It's also a restaurant and your father knows about it, so it's okay for us to be there. No Royal Guard will be swarming in to shut it down."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Adam relaxed, rubbed the back of his neck several times to ease the tension further, and replied, "Good."

Soon, Stefen stopped the vehicle across the street from one of the larger towers in the city. Adam stared at him questioningly, so he responded, "You have heard of the 360, right? The restaurant is at the very top and it has windows all around it, so patrons can look at all sides of the city. We're in the center of Eternos, so it has quite a breathtaking view no matter where you look."

"Oh," he replied, looking up at it. "Yes, I've heard of it, but I've never been to it."

"Well, today's your lucky day."

Both men exited the vehicle and as soon as they stepped inside the building, a host, who was stationed at a booth on the other side of the room, gasped. There was a line of people ahead of them. It was so long it almost extended to the entrance of the establishment. Despite this, he left his post and ran to them almost immediately exclaiming, "Prince Adam!" The people in the line turned to look at the royals among them and started whispering animatedly to one another. The host, however, was oblivious to this and to Adam's growing embarrassment and the darkening of his skin. "What are you…I mean, where…uh." He then took a deep breath and calmed himself. "I'm sorry. Forgive me, my prince. Where would your Royal Highness care to go this evening? We are honored that you're here. Would you like to take your guest to the souvenir shop or up the different levels to see all the views of our city? Or perhaps…"

King Stefen quickly interrupted, "No, thank you. Actually, we wanted to get a reservation for your restaurant. We'll wait until there is a table available." He then turned and winked at Adam, almost mischievously.

"Oh, no!" the host nearly shouted. "There is a table available now! Please, right this way!"

King Stefen started to follow, but Adam pulled on him and said loudly to get both their attentions, "Actually, all of these people were here first, so we should wait our turn."

The host and Stefen turned back to look at him. Both were clearly stymied. Then, several people in line called out, "It's okay, Prince Adam! We don't mind!"

The host then grinned, didn't wait for an answer from the prince, and exclaimed, "You see, it's settled! Right this way, Your Majesties!"

Adam took a deep breath and followed his uncle. He nodded thanks to the people in line as he passed, but he felt horrible. He knew, though, that it was the unfortunate privilege of being royalty. That was one of the reasons why he avoided public establishments, but King Stefen clearly didn't mind. In fact, he had a feeling that when his uncle had winked at him earlier, the elder had known what the response from the host would be. Within moments, he found himself on an otherwise empty elevator with his uncle, riding to the top of the building.

When the doors opened, a hostess immediately walked over to them and asked excitedly, "Which side of the restaurant would you like to be on, Your Highnesses?" Clearly, the staff had already been made aware of their arrival.

Adam looked over at his uncle and shrugged. In response, King Stefen answered, "Anywhere is fine."

The hostess immediately took them to the east where they could see the palace, the only taller building in Eternos. They sat them at a table right next to the window, so they could even peer down and look at the streets below. The glass extended from the roof to the floor on this level. "Wow!" the prince gasped as he looked down at the people far below and then at the city itself. It was breathtaking. He found it odd that he found it so amazing considering he flew over it regularly in a Windraider, but perhaps staying in one location made it look different. Not to mention being by the large window made it seem like he was sitting in midair. He swayed a little.

Suddenly, he was hit on the head some papers. The prince looked up in astonishment to see that the hostess was gone and King Stefen was laughing and extending a menu to him. "I had to get your attention somehow. You were zoned out. Anyway, I said while we're here we might as well eat something. You didn't have much breakfast this morning."

Adam smiled a little and nodded. He looked down at the menu, sighed, and flipped through it almost distractedly.

King Stefen reached out with his menu and covered Adam's with it. The prince looked up. "You seem a bit preoccupied with whatever you want to discuss. Do you want me to order for us?"

Adam nodded and replied, "I'm sorry. I'm just…"

"It's okay. I understand. Do you want me to order?"

"Sure," he answered.

Once the waitress came up to them, Stefen ordered but Adam didn't really pay attention to what the king was getting. He just stared at the palace and wondered what was happening there now. Questions like, "Where is Teela?", "What's she doing?", "Are she and Man-at-Arms mad at me?", and "What will Father do once he sees me?" floated around in his head. He wished he knew all of these answers, but he knew he wouldn't until he found out the hard way.

He sighed and glanced at his uncle who was looking straight at him sympathetically. "Ready to talk now?" the king inquired. At Adam's nod, he said, "Do you want to talk about whatever's bothering you, first, or do you want to talk about how to get you out of trouble or at least…lighten the punishment?"

He raised an eyebrow. "How in the world can I lighten it or get out of trouble all together? What I've done…there's no coming back from that!"

Stefen shook his head and chastised, "Don't act like you've done the worst act imaginable, Adam. So, you ran off with a girl. All we have to do is give a darn good reason why you felt like you needed to."

He scoffed lightly. "Like what? Nothing I say will be excusable to my father."

"We can make him see your side of the situation, though…or at least what we say your side will be." Adam gaped at him. "Oh, come on! You have to tell him something. You can't just say you did it because you wanted to. It has to be better than that." The king paused and stated, "I know! I heard Captain Teela tell Randor that she yelled at you in front of Ashlyn. You can tell your father that you did it to teach her a lesson: you did it to show her that you could get away from her if you wanted, that you didn't need a bodyguard, and that you can do as you please with no permission from her. She does need to learn her place, after all. Not to mention, you can say you felt the need to save face in front of your subject. Your father would understand that to a certain degree. It wouldn't get you out of trouble completely, but…"

Adam shook his head adamantly. "I can't say that!" he cried.

"Why ever not?"

"Because it's not true, for one," he answered. He then closed his eyes and said, "Maybe we should talk about my dilemma and maybe you'll understand why I can't do that to Teela."

"Ooookay," Stefen said slowly, scrutinizing his nephew now.

The prince took a deep breath and said, "For years…" He paused for several long seconds, but then rushed through his next words. "I've been in love with Teela."

Stefen widened his eyes.

The prince nodded. "Yes, I know. And, you see, this whole time I've never told her, much less admitted it to anyone…not even myself. There are many different reasons why. All of them I can't discuss here or at any time really, but the most obvious is that she's never really shown any sign that she even likes me in that way…but I can't help but hope."

"So, you're asking me if you should tell her," stated Stefen.

Adam stared at the palace again and stated, "Not really…I mean, maybe. It's just that…well, I like Ashlyn." He looked back at his uncle and saw the smile that suddenly erupted onto the king's face. He closed his eyes to ignore it and continued, "Ashlyn knows of my feelings for Teela, but she doesn't care. She says Teela doesn't want to be with me, so I should give her a chance. Part of me says she's right, but the other half wants me to continue waiting for Teela…but that may never come to pass. She might never return my feelings." He looked at his uncle again and explained, "Ashlyn said she'd give me a week to decide what I wanted to do. We could continue to be friends or we can decide to be something more. It's frustrating because I do like Ashlyn. I think we would get along well, but Father doesn't like her and I don't love her like I do Teela."

"You could grow to love her since you do like her. That's a pretty good start for a relationship," interjected his uncle.

"That's what Ashlyn said." He rubbed his face. "So, are you saying I should forget about Teela and court Ashlyn? What about my father?"

King Stefen reached out and grabbed his hand. "Adam, the solution is really obvious. It won't be easy, though." The boy looked at him fearfully. "You need to find out how Teela feels about you. Once you know for certain, then you can make an informed decision about Ashlyn. If you decide to play it safe and be with Ashlyn, you'll always wonder what would have happened if you had been honest with Teela. It might tear you and Ashlyn apart and that would kind of make all of this worrying you're having now pointless. And, as for your father, I think he might be upset no matter what you do. I could be wrong about that, but I don't think so. He doesn't like Ashlyn because she's feisty and perhaps a bit of a troublemaker in his book…but Teela is the Captain of the Guard and from what I've heard and seen, she shares some of Ashlyn's qualities." He paused. "Hmm, that might be why you like them both. They certainly look alike."

Adam groaned. "You noticed that, too, huh?" When his uncle nodded, he exclaimed, "When Ashlyn and I were kissing, I almost called her 'Teela.' It was at that moment that I realized their similarities. Does that make me kind of shallow, that I like her because she looks like Teela?"

Stefen laughed loudly. "Of course not!" he exclaimed. "You didn't purposely set out to find a girl that looked like Teela. You enjoy hanging out with Ashlyn. I can tell, so you like her personality, too. The fact that she also has the qualities that you find attractive is a plus. Besides, I wouldn't necessarily say you like Ashlyn because she looks like Teela. Maybe you like Teela because she fits your preferences that you naturally have for women. You never know. Don't place so much weight on those kind of thoughts, son. It will drive you crazy. Just live your life and go where it takes you."

Adam nodded worriedly and summarized, "So…you think I should talk to Teela and find out how she feels." At Stefen's nod, he nodded, as well. "Okay, I'll do it. I don't know how, but…"

"Just talk to her. From my understanding, she's been your best friend for years. Just tell her how you feel. Her response might surprise you."

At that moment, the waitress walked up to hand them their plates and placed a bottle of wine on the table. "Please, let us know if you need anything," she said and then walked away.

Adam looked at the fish before him and his mouth started watering. He realized he was starving. He then looked at the bottle of wine in front of him and paused. He knew he shouldn't drink it, especially in light of what his mother had told him, but he decided just a little would be okay. It would take the edge off so he'd be able to withstand his father's wrath and his upcoming conversation with Teela. He popped the cork off and poured both of them a glass. He then looked up and asked "So, what do I tell Father about my running off now that your first suggestion is off the table?" He wanted to think about other things besides Teela, so that his food wouldn't churn his stomach. That usually happened when he was upset or nervous, and he didn't feel like getting sick to his stomach.

King Stefen smiled and answered, "I guess you should go for what I think is probably the truth. Tell your father that you're a grown man now and you wanted to make a statement that you can make your own decisions."

Adam gaped at his uncle. "I can't say that to him! He's the king!"

Stefen smiled. "He's your father. This situation has nothing to do with either one of you being royalty. This is the dealings between a father and a grown son. And, by all means, start off your conversation with those words. It will throw my brother off completely, because he'll feel obligated to keep it on that level. He won't be able to throw royal obligation to submit to your king's wishes in your face, and if he does, he'll know he used the throne to win the conversation. Then, he'll feel bad later and more than likely lighten up on the punishment that he came up with." He grinned suddenly and stated excitedly, "Oh, I like this plan better already! I have to be there to see this!"

The prince widened his eyes and whispered audibly, "Yeah, well, I'll need you there as support to say it. I don't know if I'll be able to, though."

Stefen reached over, squeezed his hand again, and said, "Yes, you will. Let's practice! Who knows Randor better than me? I bet we'll have it almost verbatim!"

=)=)=)


	21. Worries and Pain

Against Nature Chapter 21

Adam tapped his fingers on his knee nervously as he sat beside his uncle. They were on their way back to the palace and his mind kept replaying what his uncle had called their "practice runs" for the big discussion with his father. While in the 360 Restaurant, they went over possible scenarios of what might happen when he walked into the throne room that very same day. And, he had to admit King Stefen impersonated King Randor quite accurately. Despite his uneasiness, he had laughed at his uncle several times because the king was so uncannily like his brother. Sometimes when he scrambled to figure out what to say to his "make-believe father," he had almost believed he was really talking to the King of Eternia! He was that good.

Adam smiled briefly at his uncle and felt a wave of gratitude toward the monarch. Stefen had really helped him out, and he had a feeling he would continue to need that support from this moment forward since both his father and Man-at-Arms would likely be angry with him for a while. They just didn't understand and he doubted that they would any time soon.

He took a deep, cleansing breath to attempt to calm his nerves. Despite going over multiple possibilities of what might occur once he stepped foot inside the palace, he was still filled with anxiety at the prospect of standing up to his father...but he realized he had put himself in this situation, so he had to face whatever lay ahead. It might not be easy, but he believed his father would at least appreciate that his son had finally stood his ground on something…even if he might not like that Adam was doing it with him and not Skeletor or someone more deserving in the king's opinion.

He shook his head for what seemed like the thousandth time that day. He didn't know how he was going to get through this. He could only hope that his uncle had predicted his father accurately, so he could rely on the loose script he had rolling around in his mind repeatedly.

"Adam, you need to calm down," he heard his uncle say and he quickly snapped out of his thoughts.

"I can't help it," he replied; "Father isn't going to be too happy with me today, and I'm not looking forward to the confrontation. It's going to be ugly."

The king glanced at Adam briefly as he drove and stated soothingly, "Just stay relaxed and remember what we went over at the 360. Also, remember that I'll be right there beside you for moral support."

Adam blew air out from his lungs slowly and quipped, "Yeah, well, maybe you should talk to my father for me."

Stefen chuckled and replied, "Oh, believe me, Adam, I might have if I wasn't so out of favor right now with my brother. Remember, he just rescinded my banishment."

The prince rubbed his eyes wearily and blurted, "Well, I might be the one to get banished this time!"

"You don't seriously believe that, do you?"

Adam met his uncle's stare and frowned. "No, I don't," he admitted. "I just don't like confrontations with my father. I never have. I'm not very good at them."

Stefen reached out a hand, placed it on his shoulder, and squeezed him comfortingly. "Every young man goes through this eventually. Fathers and sons do not always see eye-to-eye on everything, and they don't always like each other's actions and opinions. Confrontations occur. It's a part of life, and you must realize you're a little behind everyone else in this department. I honestly believe you've succumbed to your father's wishes more than you should have and for a far longer time than most."

Adam shook his head and questioned, "How could you know that? You haven't been here to observe my interactions with my father…"

The king interjected, "Yes, but I know my brother and I think I'm getting to know you quite well. You don't like to rock the boat, Adam, so you do whatever you can to appease everyone. Sure, you do small things that gets on some people's nerves from time to time, but those things had never been anything that stood out to everyone until now…and that's so wrong on so many levels. It's not your fault, though—it's Randor's. You should have already done things and been places that you clearly haven't. You should be accustomed to how the public reacts to royalty, and you plainly weren't at the restaurant. You have been sheltered far too much."

"That isn't completely his fault!" He felt like he had to defend his father. "I can take personal responsibility for that one. I chose not to go to public places, because I don't like to be treated as though I'm above everyone else."

"But you are!" Stefen cried firmly. He stared at his nephew in disbelief for a few seconds before anger surprisingly grew towards his brother. Adam could plainly see the emotion on his uncle's face as he continued to speak. "You wouldn't feel so awkward in these situations if Randor had taken you under his wing like he should have and shown you what was expected of us! When you become king, Adam, you won't be able to avoid the masses like you can now. You will have to go out in public and your people will expect you to accept their doting on you or you'll risk offending them. You surely don't want that, do you?"

The prince grimaced and mumbled, "No, I don't." He turned away and stared out the window to see many of his people watching them go by with obvious interest. Some merely stared, but others waved energetically, and even more bowed. They obviously knew the Prince of Eternia was in the vehicle, and they unknowingly confirmed King Stefen's words: they were expected to act a certain way and likewise, they expected him to act in a certain way. It was like a vicious cycle, but no one besides him seemed to mind it. Maybe King Stefen was right that he should have been exposed to the public more to get used to all the hype and expectations.

King Stefen looked over at his nephew and sighed as the silence in the AttakTrak grew. "I don't mean to upset you," he said to fill the air. "I just want you to understand why this discussion with Randor is so important." He paused for a moment thoughtfully and shared, "Even Dal and I have butted heads, but it doesn't make me love him any less. In fact, on some occasions, it made me respect him a little more. It takes guts to stand up to a father or a king…and I know I shouldn't say this as Dal's father, but I'm going to anyway. If he can do it, Adam, I _know_ without any doubts that you can, too."

Adam smiled a little as tears filled his eyes. He blinked them away swiftly so they wouldn't be seen when he turned to look at his uncle. "You have that much faith in me and belief that this is the right thing to do?" he whispered in awe.

"Yes, I do," Stefen affirmed as he reached over and patted Adam's knee lightly several times. "But let's drop this discussion for now. I don't want you to work yourself into a tizzy before we even get there."

He nodded and asked casually, "Well, what would you like to talk about, uncle?"

Stefen eyed him for a moment with what seemed to be indecision and then sighed. "There is one thing I want to get off my chest, but I'm not entirely sure if you are the appropriate person to talk to about this."

Adam stared at the king for a moment curiously before replying, "Well, I'm not going to force you, but I will tell you that I'd never betray a confidence. You listened to my problems and I'm more than willing to return the favor."

King Stefen stopped the AttakTrak and studied Adam closely. The sincerity in his nephew's eyes was obvious. After a moment, he nodded and replied, "Okay, I'll share, but for reasons that I will not disclose, I won't name certain people. Are you okay with that?"

"Of course," he immediately replied.

=)=)=)

Stefen pulled over to get out of the road, so he could talk without any distractions. He knew this was a very delicate matter to discuss, especially since his audience was Adam. He couldn't slip up, and he'd have to be vague but say it in such a way that the severity of the situation would still be obvious. It would be hard to pull it off, but he felt like sharing his problem with someone and he knew he couldn't do it with anyone else at the palace. It was Adam or no one.

He cleared his throat and, without looking at Adam, said, "There are certain things that have happened recently that I've shared with your father but haven't shared with you. Before I came to Eternos, I discovered that Liana was having an affair, so that's why I'm here. I left Dyperia and I don't think I'll ever go back."

He heard his companion gasp, but he didn't look at him or give the boy any time to speak. Instead, he continued, "I will admit it upset me greatly but not for all the reasons you might think. I'm just going to say it outright: I didn't love Liana when I married her, but I did grow to love her. I loved her because she was my wife, my queen, and the mother of my son…but did I ever fall in love with her? No. I suppose that's what makes this situation bearable. I'm profoundly disappointed, but I'm not brokenhearted, if that makes any sense."

Finally, he turned to look at the prince, and he watched him nod sympathetically. Adam grabbed his hand and squeezed tightly for a moment.

Stefen didn't comment on his nephew's actions. He merely continued with his tale: "I came to Eternos with the idea of reacquainting myself with my old life. I wanted to cut loose and live for the day again. I've achieved that to a certain degree, but I find myself wanting other things than that now." He looked away again and explained, "I have a…friend here in Eternos and like Randor, I hadn't seen him for many years. Despite that, our friendship has picked up where it left off…well, for the most part. There have been a few misunderstandings and bumps in the road, but we resolved them." At this point, he paused for such a long time that Adam felt the need to prod him.

"Uncle?" he questioned, touching his arm lightly. "Is there a something going on with your friend that's causing you problems?"

Stefen awoke from his stupor and nodded at him briefly. He then looked away again—he couldn't look at Adam while he discussed this since the prince was far closer to the story than he would realize. Breathing deeply again, he stated abruptly, "My friend has a girlfriend."

He looked at Adam and watched the boy raise his brow questioningly. "And?" the prince asked as he held his palms up with a shrug to indicate that he didn't see what the problem was.

He turned away again and explained, "I never really met my friend's girlfriend until recently. I knew of her, and the few times that we had spoken to one another, it had been on a view screen and my…friend was always present." He then sighed and revealed, "Despite knowing that it's wrong, now that Liana is out of the picture, I find myself wanting to move on…and something that I can't explain is pulling me to my friend's…girlfriend. I don't want to feel this way, but I can't control it and I can't deny it. It simply is, Adam."

The prince remained silent for several moments. He looked down at his hands and seemed to debate with himself. Eventually, he replied, "That's quite a problem, uncle. I think that beats my situation, hands down."

He nodded. "Yeah, just my luck."

Adam looked up and asked softly, "What do you want to do about it?"

He chuckled, but there wasn't much humor in it. "I want to…have her. I want to be with her, but that's going to ruin my relationship with my friend, and my friend is very important to me. But I've already kissed this woman and…"

Adam immediately threw his hands up. "Whoa, hold on!" he exclaimed in amazement. "You've kissed her already?"

"Yes," he replied with a few nods. "And, like I was saying, the electricity that I felt was intense. I might have been able to withstand her pull if I hadn't kissed her, but I did and now I can't get her out of my mind."

The prince shook his head and asked, "Well, what happened with the kiss? Did she kiss you back? Does she want to have a relationship with you?"

He stared at him and admitted miserably, "No, she pushed me away instantly and slapped me pretty hard. She's a lot stronger than she looks and definitely more spirited…but I like that. Anyway, she doesn't want a relationship with me. She loves my friend."

Adam was confused. "Then, doesn't that solve your dilemma? If she doesn't return your feelings, then you must move on. It might be hard, but you have no other choice."

He shrugged. "I don't know, Adam," he whispered so softly that the prince had to strain and lean towards him to hear him. "It might be wishful thinking, but part of me believes she merely reacted that way because she felt like she was _supposed_ _to_. I felt such chemistry when we kissed that I can't imagine her having not felt it, too. What I really want to do is pursue and woo her. I want to win her, like Ashlyn wants to do with you."

Adam stared at his uncle with a blank expression. "But what about your friend? Whether you win her or you don't, you're jeopardizing your relationship with him. Ashlyn's situation is not the same was yours. She isn't friends with Teela and I'm not dating her. So, you have to ask yourself if this slim chance that you can win her is worth losing your friend."

"It would be if I got her."

"I didn't ask that," the prince argued lightly. "Is this slim chance worth the loss of your friend regardless of the outcome? Because that's all you have: a slim chance. She has made her feelings known loud and clear when she slapped you, so it's likely your friend will find out that you're chasing after her and that won't be pleasant for you, I don't think."

Stefen contemplated his nephew's words and then sighed. "You know, you're very insightful, Adam, when the problem doesn't involve you directly."

"So, I've been told," he replied. "But, are you going to answer the question?"

King Stefen stared ahead of him for several moments before he finally said what was on his mind: "I don't want to lose my friend, but despite that I want to be closer to her. I want to be in her presence and become her friend. Who knows? Maybe she will grow to have feelings for me. It's possible. After all, my friend is…kind of snobbish and to my advantage, I know how to live a little. He doesn't…at least, not anymore."

Adam thought about his uncle's words for a moment and offered the acceptance the king so obviously wanted to hear. "Well, they aren't married and I assume no kids are involved, so maybe hanging out with her and seeing if anything develops is okay. She has every right to change her mind about who she wants to be with at this point."

Stefen immediately turned his head away from his nephew and thought, " _If only you knew_."

=)=)=)

Duncan stood with Teela in his workshop and tried to keep a calm demeanor for his daughter. But, the truth was he was in the same mental state she was and he actually wanted to express the emotion far more than she currently was:

Teela was pacing back and forth frantically and would stop every so often to look around the room before pacing again.

He knew what was bothering her without having to be told: Adam.

He couldn't speak for her, but he had multiple feelings towards the prince right now and none of them were good: first and foremost, he was almost overwhelmed with worry. Adam had already demonstrated that he left common sense at the door when he was with Ashlyn. The boy had climbed up a building that was falling apart and everyone had the audacity to act like they were surprised when Adam had almost killed himself when climbing down. He should have never been up there in the first place! Adam was supposed to be the voice of reason when he was with a group. He usually was, but now he was following this girl's every whim…and that led to the next emotion he felt: anger. He was angry that Adam had told Ashlyn his secret after everything they did everyday to conceal it! And, he was deeply annoyed that because of Ashlyn's influence, Adam had been willing to stay out all day and make most of the Guard search for him while he had a good old time as He-Man! He also hated the fact that Adam would allow himself to be put in this situation in the first place. The lad had always held a maturity that was far beyond his years and for Adam to pull back from that so suddenly, it disappointed and angered him…

And yet, maybe that was part of the problem. When this whole thing with Stefen started, Duncan had come to the sobering conclusion that Adam was utterly alone. Sure, the boy had his loved ones around him constantly, but they didn't know him. Not really.

And, yes, he knew Adam, but he was a father figure to the prince. He knew Adam found it difficult to tell him all of his inner thoughts, what was troubling him personally, and things like that. Not to mention, Adam surely couldn't cut lose and hang out like a normal twenty-year-old with him. So, what had Adam done when he realized what he was missing out on in life? He found people who would do these things with him. First, it had been King Stefen, but that had come to an abrupt end thanks to King Randor. Now, it was Ashlyn. He found himself wishing Adam had stuck with Stefen. After all, Stefen wouldn't have put him in life-threatening situations intentionally. Ashlyn seemed to get her kicks out of doing the wrong thing all the time. The girl drank, did drugs, and climbed up unstable buildings just for fun. That's all he knew about the girl, but it was enough.

And, unfortunately, Adam loved it. He could understand the appeal since he had been raised a prince, and therefore, Ashlyn's life had a freedom that his did not, but that did not make his actions excusable. Adam was rebelling right now, but it was about to cause him a lot of problems not only with him, but with his mother, his father, and Teela. He looked at his daughter who was still pacing and wondered how Adam was going to handle it all, much less everyone else.

=)=)=)

Her feet were killing her.

But she wouldn't tell her father.

Ever since Teela had become the Captain of the Guard, she wore these boots with her uniform. When she had first shown her father what she had intended her new uniform to be when she had been promoted captain, he had looked at it disapprovingly. She remembered his words like they were uttered yesterday:

" _Don't you think you should wear shoes without a heel, my daughter? As captain, you will have many tasks that might keep you on your feet all day. And, I suppose I should go ahead and tell you, I recommended you to be Prince Adam's bodyguard. You're going to be mighty busy, so you need to choose your footwear wisely._ "

In her defense, most of the time, her boots didn't bother her. They only did today, because she had been out searching the city for the better part of the morning, and now she was pacing her father's workshop. Despite the pain she was causing herself, she couldn't stop, and she knew she wouldn't be able to until Adam was back safely in the palace. Supposedly, King Stefen had found Adam and was bringing him home, but she couldn't help but ask herself what condition he was in. After all, Adam had fallen off a building that very morning, and he was out with a person he had gotten drunk with before. Who knew what they might have done today!

And, if the prince was hurt or intoxicated, King Randor would have no one to blame but her. She had failed in her duty to stay at the prince's side today. Yes, Adam had run from her, but he wasn't the first charge to try to ditch a bodyguard. It happened all the time with others…but it had been so unexpected with Adam. Usually, he didn't run away unless danger was imminent, and everyone understood that she was busy at those times rushing into the danger, so they didn't expect her to keep tabs on him. After all, she would be handling the threat; therefore, Adam would be quite safe. That was usually considered a job well done.

Her actions today were anything but that. Besides failing to stay at Adam's side, she had also been insubordinate to her superior. She had yelled at Adam and embarrassed him in front of Ashlyn. She knew it was entirely possible Adam had run away with the floozy to save face in front of his subject.

" _Nice job, Teela_ ," she berated herself as she wiped away a small tear from the corner of her eye that had developed for some unknown reason." _Why didn't you just fling him into her arms literally without all this hassle? That's precisely what you accomplished today, anyway_."

She knew the answer to her question, but she didn't want to admit it to herself.

Oh, she could tell herself repeatedly with no problem that Ashlyn was only after the throne and that Adam would be an unsuspecting and unfortunate victim of that quest. She could even tell herself that's why she yelled and reminded Adam that he was forbidden to see Ashlyn. She had wanted to protect him! That was her job, after all!

And yet, she knew that wasn't quite accurate. Yes, she believed Ashlyn was nothing but trouble, but the truth was she simply didn't want Adam and Ashlyn together. It didn't matter if Adam had been forbidden from seeing her or if the girl was probably after him for his crown that he seldom wore. Those things didn't matter at all, really.

She couldn't voice why they didn't matter, even inside her head…but she knew the words. She felt them deeply. It was the same reason why she didn't literally throw Adam into Ashlyn's arms.

Teela quickly dismissed those thoughts from her mind. She didn't want to think about them right now. She didn't want to face them. As she turned to glance out the window to see what time of day it was, she noticed Micah had walked into the room.

"Man-at-Arms, Captain," he said as he saluted them both.

"Lieutenant," she greeted. "Do you have more news on Prince Adam?"

He nodded once and answered, "King Stefen radioed again to tell us that they would arrive shortly. I've already told King Randor the news and he asked me to tell you and Man-at-Arms to go to the throne room. He wants you both present when Adam arrives."

Her heart jumped into her throat. She knew Adam was going to get into trouble for his actions, and honestly, she didn't want to see it, because she knew she had a hand in it. She was the one who told the king what he had done. Yes, it was her duty and obligation…but he was her friend and she couldn't help but feel that she had ratted him out to his father. Would he forgive her for that, on top of forgiving her for embarrassing him? Or would the king's punishment and her involvement push them even farther apart?"

" _And, into Ashlyn's arms again_ ," she thought to herself as she grinded her teeth together.

As Micah walked away, Man-at-Arms slipped a comforting arm around her shoulders and led her to the throne room.


	22. The Confrontation

The walk to the throne room had never been so excruciating before. Even as a child when he had done something wrong, he had hated walking this path to face his parents alone. He didn't want to slight anyone else's hard life outside the palace, but he felt as though he had a more difficult time with his parents than most. He wasn't saying that because they were strict or mean—they weren't. He was saying it because they were the king and queen. He figured all children looked up to their parents as authority figures and he certainly had, as well, but on top of that, they were also the absolute power of not only the kingdom but the entire planet. It had been intimidating…and it was still intimidating. And, there was always one thing that he feared more than anything else at times like this: he didn't want his father to tell him that he had let him and all of Eternia down. He had anticipated and dreaded those words even more after he had received the Power Sword, but luckily, he never heard them. He was convinced that he might today. At least this time, he had an ally—he wouldn't be alone. He glanced over at King Stefen and took a deep breath as they finally reached the throne room doors.

"Ready?" asked Stefen as they paused.

He swallowed and answered truthfully, "No, but let's get this over with." He closed his eyes, exhaled harshly, and stepped inside. His eyes were still closed and when he opened them, he saw that his parents had just become aware of him. He felt his hands shake a little because of what he was about to do and say, but despite his fear, he stepped forward and stood before the throne. King Stefen stayed right beside him the entire time.

"Adam," his father stated firmly with an obvious look of disapproval. His frown was contagious to the entire room and his eyes were narrowed as he looked at his son.

"Father…" he started to speak but his voice broke. He cleared his throat and tried again, "Father, I know that my actions today have been deplorable, and I know I deserve every bit of punishment that you're about to give me, but I want to make one request…" He trailed off and glanced at Stefen for a moment. This was how his uncle had told him to begin this conversation and so far it seemed to be working. His father wasn't yelling; he was actually listening. But he didn't know how the king would take his next words. When Stefen nodded at him slightly, he said firmly, "Can we keep this conversation between us, as in father and son, not king and prince or king and subordinate?"

"Well done," whispered Stefen as both Adam and he watched a look of bewilderment come over Randor's face temporarily.

Quickly, however, the king recovered from his bout of confusion and said, "My words won't change no matter which approach I take, but so be it, son." There was a brief pause before he gave an order. "You said a moment ago that you knew your actions today were deplorable. I want you to tell me what those actions were. I want to see if you know exactly why we're here now."

Adam kept his eyes on his father as he heard Stefen cough a little. He knew why his uncle did it. His father was already following one of the scenarios they had gone over at the restaurant, so as each second passed, the more relaxed he became. He didn't let that fact show outwardly, though. Instead, he cocked his lips to the side and glance down at the floor as he frowned. He then followed his actions with a sigh. He knew it would seem like he was disappointed at something, and when he looked up and saw his father's baffled expression, he knew it worked. He was good at acting, after all. "As you wish, Your Majesty," he mumbled as if he were depressed.

And, the King of Eternia flinched in response…and Adam almost did himself at his reaction. He knew those words would unsettle his father a little, because he had just asked his father for them to discuss this as father and son and the king had agreed. But the first thing that had come out of his father's mouth was an order that he sometimes made criminals do when they entered the court after being arrested: they had to admit their crimes before the king. His uncle had told him Randor would go to this instinctively, and King Stefen had been right. Now, he realized that might have been a low blow. His father actually looked remorseful for a moment, and hoping desperately to wash the moment away, Adam named his wrongdoings hurriedly. He actually hoped it would get him a little angry, so his father wouldn't feel bad about how he had started the discussion.

"I disobeyed your order to stay away from Lady Ashlyn; I disobeyed your order to keep my bodyguard with me at all times; and I avoided the Guard, even though I knew they were looking for me."

When it became obvious the prince wasn't going to say anything else, Randor asked almost sadly, "Is that all?"

Adam could tell that his father was struggling with himself now, and he immediately looked down at the ground. Ashlyn and Stefen had told him at different times under different circumstances to keep his head-up when facing the king, but he couldn't look at him after purposely making his father feel bad. Instead, he merely spoke, "I believe that's it."

There was a lengthy pause, and when Adam looked up, he noticed that his father finally looked angry, but he wasn't looking at him. Instead, he was looking to King Stefen's right. The prince looked past his uncle and noticed that Man-at-Arms and Teela were in the room, as well. He was so focused on his father that he hadn't noticed. " _Why is he looking at them like that_?" he wondered. He soon got his answer.

"Didn't you tell me Prince Adam also endangered his life? That he climbed and fell from a condemned building? That He-Man had to rescue him?" his father asked them.

Teela glanced over at Adam and their eyes met temporarily before she looked back at the king with a frown and answered, "Yes, he did." Man-at-Arms nodded in agreement.

Adam turned back to his father who was now turning that angry look upon him. "Did you forget about that little tidbit?" the king asked.

"Yes," he replied, "I also endangered my life." With the final crime given, he waited for the king to give him his punishment. Instead, his father looked at the queen for a moment and then stood. He descended the throne and came to stand in front of Adam.

"Son," he began but quickly stopped. He visibly smelled the air and then leaned towards his son's face and sniffed again. "Have you been drinking?"

Immediately, Adam's mind raced back to the roof when Daniel had given him a beer from his cooler, but he hadn't drunk that. He never had the opportunity. " _Then when_ …" He suddenly remembered. He drank a glass of wine with his uncle at the 360. He widened his eyes as he looked at his uncle who seemed thoroughly confused.

Stefen said, "Brother, I know this isn't any of my business, but why would that be such a big deal? He will be turning twenty-one soon, so it's not like he can't handle it."

Randor's face grew red and explained, "Actually, he can't! He takes after his mother. His body reacts to things the way an Earthling's would. Our liquor intoxicates them and sometimes sickens them far worse than it does us." The king then studied him suspiciously for a moment. "Why are you suddenly sticking up for him? Do you know how he got this alcohol, brother?"

Stefen glanced at Adam and the prince bit his lip for a moment. He didn't want his uncle to get into trouble. After all, King Stefen hadn't known! He hadn't been present when his parents had told him he shouldn't be drinking. He grabbed his father's attention by saying, "No, he doesn't, Father, but yes, I drank a glass of wine, but it was only a small glass."

The king turned his back on his son and announced, "You have disobeyed me and your mother five times today that I know about." He looked back at him and continued, "I suppose it won't do me any good to tell you how disappointed I am in you. After all, I told you that when I found out about your trips to Madelia, but that doesn't seem to have had an effect on your recent behavior. So, I suppose it's time for action."

Adam took a deep breath as the king turned to the side and called out, "Captain Teela."

"Yes, sire," she responded as she stepped forward.

Without any hesitation, he declared calmly, "You are no longer the Crown Prince's bodyguard."

Adam gasped and so did Teela and Man-at-Arms. That wasn't part of any of the scenarios his uncle and he had gone over. "What?" cried Adam. "Why? Father, why are you punishing Teela? She didn't do anything wrong! It was my fault! Teela is the best bodyguard anyone could ask for! Please, don't do this!"

The king studied his son for a moment and replied, "I'm not punishing her, Adam. You have simply shown me that perhaps Teela was not the best person for the job. First of all, she told me herself that she scolded you in front of Ashlyn, which I do know holds some fault in your actions. And, regardless of whether I agree with Teela's words while she reprimanded you or not, that can't happen again. Second, you got away from Teela. That's not to say that she is bad at her job. I know she isn't, but you two are friends; therefore, you know her weaknesses. You made her walk away from you, so you could outrun her. You know Teela too well, so you know how to ditch her as you obviously did. I cannot allow this to happen again, so I'll be finding you a new bodyguard, one you're not so familiar with."

"Father, please!" he begged. He glanced over at Teela and saw that her eyes were swelling with tears. Man-at-Arms had his hands on his daughter's shoulders and he looked angry. Adam's and Duncan's eyes met for a moment, but the latter quickly looked away.

Tears slipped down Adam's cheeks at that point. He looked at his father and pleaded with him to change his mind. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I promise I'll never do anything like this again! Please don't take Teela's job away from her! She loves it, and I wouldn't feel comfortable with anybody else! We've always been together!"

The king set his jaw, and Adam knew that meant he was determined to see his order through. He glanced at Teela and quickly went over to her. "Teela, I'm so sorry!" he said, as his father called out for him to come back. "I promise I didn't mean for this happen. I'm so, so sorry!"

Teela wiped her tears away, looked him straight in the eyes, and spat, "I hate you! Do you know how this will look to everyone? I worked hard to get where I am and you just ruined everything! But you know what, I should be glad. I am! I'm glad I don't have to deal with you and your foolishness any longer!" She then turned and ran from the room.

"TEELA!" called out Duncan and ran to follow her, but not before he looked at Adam disapprovingly.

Adam stood there defeated and watched his mentor and best friend run from the room. He felt like dropping to his knees and almost did, but King Stefen put his arm around him and held him up. "Adam, I'm so sorry," he whispered softly.

The prince heard his father call his name again, so he turned around to face him, but he couldn't move. He couldn't get his legs to work until his uncle pulled on him a little. Stefen kept his arm around him as they walked back to their original spot. Adam met his father's eyes and pleaded one last time, "Please don't ruin Teela's career over something I've done."

The king shook his head. "I'm not ruining her career. She is still the Captain of the Guard, and I still think highly of her. I'm simply giving you a bodyguard you can't take advantage of."

Tears still slipped down Adam's cheeks, but he wiped them away, hurriedly. He could tell his father wasn't through, yet.

"And, I want you to know something, son. When my brother came to Eternos, your mother told me you did an excellent job in court that day. She told me how you handled the situation with the Morainians and Aquaticans. I was so proud of you that I was actually thinking about giving you more responsibility. I was actually going to let you take a more active role in the kingdom, and I was even going to let you take over sometimes…but I can't do that now. You've shown me that you still haven't grown up and that I can't trust you, yet."

Adam looked down and stared at the floor.

After a moment of Randor waiting for Adam to speak, the king asked, "Well? Are you going to explain yourself? Why did you do this?"

Time seemed to tick by as Adam tried desperately to gather his thoughts. Finally, he looked up and stated, "Because I wanted to be a normal twenty-year old! You tell me to act my age, but the truth is you don't want that! You never have! You want me to sit behind these palace walls and watch you rule the planet! You want me to socialize with only nobility and people of the court! You and everyone else just want to keep piling more and more responsibility on my shoulders without giving me any breaks!" He paused to breathe because he was running out of air, but he quickly began speaking again. He glanced at Stefen and said the words that his uncle had kept telling him. He hadn't thought he'd be able to say them, but after what just happened, he knew he needed to. "I'm a grown man, Father, and I can make my own decisions!"

Randor shook his head and scoffed, "Obviously not good ones and being an adult isn't just measured by age."

"Why can't I make my own mistakes, then? Experiences help people grow up!" he stated sharply. "Besides, you and Uncle Stefen went out when you were my age and got into fights! By your own standards you didn't make good decisions or behave like an adult! You drank and got drunk…you did worse things than I've ever done! Why was it okay for you to do these things and yet it's so wrong for me?"

Marlena finally walked to Adam's side. She hadn't earlier, because she didn't want to get near King Stefen after everything that had happened, but now, she didn't have a choice. She whispered to her son, "It wasn't all right for Randor to do it, either. Your grandfather would not have liked his actions, believe me."

"Then, he should understand!" he replied, calming as he spoke with his mother. He looked back at his father. "I just…wanted a little freedom. I wanted to experience things. I wanted to make my own decisions. I needed a break! I wanted to be just Adam."

Randor grimaced as he stared at his son. His son's argument made him pause, but he was getting a headache. Between Adam, Marlena, and Stefen, they were driving him crazy and all for different reasons! To end the confrontation so he'd be able to think about everything with a clear head, he said evenly, "Just go to your room, Adam. I'm tired of discussing this. There is no excuse for your actions—if this was how you felt, you should have come to me. You had your fun, now you must deal with the consequences. I'll be finding you a new bodyguard that will keep me informed of where you are at all times."

Adam didn't reply. He simply turned and left the room.

=)=)=)

Teela ran into her bedchambers, slammed the door shut, and sat on her bed with her face buried in her hands. She had already told her father in the hall that she wanted to be alone, so he didn't follow her into her room gratefully. She was too emotional and upset to deal with any conversations about the king's decision or Adam right now.

Instead, she wanted to forget about it for a little while. At that thought, Teela instantly sprung off the bed and went to her closet. From the top shelf, she pulled down a toy stuffed tiger Adam had won for her at a carnival when they were around six or seven. Since that time, it always served the purpose to make her happy, because it reminded her of that day. Adam and she had played and had so much fun, but the thing she would always remember the most was that he had spent most of the money he had on him to win her the tiger. He hadn't spent it on food or anything else. He stayed right there until he won it for her just because she said it was cute. Because that had meant so much to her as a child, she used to sleep with it all the time. Now that she was an adult and a member of the Guard, she thought it would be foolish to sleep with a stuffed animal, so she only grabbed it when she was upset. It was her little secret. Hugging the green toy to her chest, she lay on the bed as her tears started falling again.

When she closed her eyes to stop the flow, she kept seeing the same thing over and over again and it had nothing to do with the king's decision: it was Adam's sad blue eyes as she told him that she hated him. "I won't feel guilty," she said aloud as she sat up. "He deserved it!" She ran her hand across her forehead as she sighed. Tears began to slip down her cheeks again.

=)=)=)

King Stefen knocked on Adam's door lightly and stepped inside the room. Cringer was on the bed with the prince while the latter lay on his side, stared out the window, and rubbed his companion absentmindedly.

"Adam," the king greeted, walking to the bed and sitting on the edge of it; "How are you doing, son?"

Adam turned red-streaked eyes towards him and replied, "You should know, you were there!" The prince turned his attention back to his window. He couldn't believe any of it happened yet. It all seemed so surreal…but he knew that it was true. Tears began slipping down his cheeks again as Cringer begged him quietly not to cry.

Stefen sighed in response to the prince's words and whispered, "Well, that certainly didn't go according to plan entirely, did it? But at least it started and ended the right way. I'm sure Randor will come to you in the near future to talk this out peacefully."

The prince stood up and cried, "Why does that matter now? Everything is so messed up! Teela and Man-at-Arms hate me! They're probably never going to see me again except in passing. I know they're going to avoid me, and they are two of the most important people in my life."

Stefen nodded and said sympathetically, "I know." He watched as Adam crossed his arms behind his back and began to pace back and forth.

Adam mumbled, "So much for telling Teela how I feel. She hates me. She's glad to be rid of me, and it's all my fault." He suddenly sat down on the floor at the foot of the bed and Stefen quickly moved to join him.

The monarch slipped an arm around his nephew's shoulders and said, "I know this isn't going to be much comfort, but the only advice I can give you is to look on the bright side of things. It's all we can do for right now."

The prince looked over and sniffled as he wiped at his eyes. "There is no bright side," he argued. "There's nothing to be happy about in this situation…absolutely nothing."

Stefen squeezed his shoulders and pulled him closer. He exclaimed, "I don't know about that, Adam. You heard what your father said. As a reward for your actions in court, he was going to give you more work. That meant he would have given you countless hours with boring diplomats, discussing nonsense that they should have been able to resolve by themselves but won't, because they wanted to be invited to Eternos to rub elbows with the High Ruling Family. If you ask me, all of this is worth it just to get out of that."

Adam turned startled eyes to his uncle, and King Stefen couldn't help but laugh at his expression. He seemed so surprised and yet his eyes also held a little glimmer of realization. Yep, a bright side indeed. The prince stared at him for only a few seconds more before he joined in on the laughter. Adam wiped at his eyes continuously, and by that point, Adam wasn't sure if the tears were from pain or laughter.

Unfortunately, because of their laughter, neither heard a knock at the door, so they were surprised when the door suddenly opened and Queen Marlena walked into the room. She stared from Adam to Stefen and furrowed her brow.


	23. More Worries

Against Nature Chapter 23

Even when she was mad, she was beautiful. Her red hair glistened under the overhead lights as she stepped into the room and shut the door. Her skin darkened on her face, which made the few freckles on her nose and cheeks stand out a little more. And, as she moved, her dress, that usually flowed downward when she was standing still, moved to her hips and flowed behind her. King Stefen could see the shape of her figure and it was every bit the vision of the perfect woman.

She stood before them and placed her hands on her hips. She glared at him for a moment before raising an eyebrow at her son. "Why are you two laughing after what just happened?" she asked. "I certainly didn't find anything amusing."

Not allowing Adam the chance to answer, he quickly stated, "I was trying to cheer the boy up. He's quite upset about Teela losing her position. I simply helped him find the bright side of the whole situation." He watched Marlena watch him and saw that her brow rose even more. She was interested. That meant more discussion and more time in her presence…just like he had planned. He grinned happily.

"And, what's the bright side?" she asked, glancing back at Adam.

Adam looked at his uncle briefly and quickly clarified, "Before he tells you, Mother, just know that I was laughing and that is not a sign that I agree with him."

He threw a sly look the prince's way, shook him playfully while he still had his arm around his shoulders, and exclaimed, "Yes, that's true, but it's not a sign that you don't agree with me, either!"

Adam grinned and chuckled a little, but he didn't deny it. Stefen was glad. Marlena had a front row seat to see how well her son and he got along. If truth be told, he had a feeling Marlena would see Adam and him together a lot now that Teela and Duncan were mad at the prince. That could only work to his advantage, especially since he was sure that Adam and he were getting along and speaking far more than he and Randor were.

He playfully ruffled the prince's hair and answered, "I told him the bright side was that he got out of the extra work Randor had planned for him. After all, Adam is only twenty, and spending time in court or meetings is NOT a reward, trust me. Randor giving him those assignments would have been a good punishment instead."

He watched as Marlena's angry expression disappeared and he instantly wondered what she was thinking and if it were favorable.

=)=)=)

Queen Marlena wasn't sure how she should feel at that moment. On the one hand, she was still uneasy about King Stefen's presence after his recent actions, but on the other hand, Adam and he were getting along remarkably well and she could tell that they enjoyed each other's company immensely. She had a feeling that Adam would need someone to fall back on in these hard times, and it certainly wouldn't be Randor. Under other circumstances, it would have been Man-at-Arms, but she had seen the looks he had flashed her son's way. He was angry at Adam, but she couldn't really blame him. The same thing went for Teela. So, who else could it be? She would have volunteered, but she had a feeling a man might be more appropriate with some issues. After all, it had only been that very morning when Stefen had been giving Adam advice on women…Of course, no one ever said whatever advice he had given had been good. She narrowed her eyebrows again and wondered if Stefen had a hand in Adam running off with Ashlyn. She didn't know why she hadn't thought of that before…

Taking a deep breath, she silenced that line of thought. She knew she would need evidence if she was going to accuse Stefen of something like that and she didn't have it. She couldn't just throw around accusations like that just because he had done the unthinkable and kissed her. It certainly wasn't fair to Stefen! But she couldn't help herself sometimes, just like she couldn't help but question his earlier actions. She had to keep reminding herself that those acts might have been an honest mistake, like he claimed, since he had been so caught up in the moment. Of course, his excuse didn't explain his look a little later when Randor had kissed her in the throne room. She sighed at the thought.

Bottom line, she didn't know where King Stefen's head was, and with that being said, she didn't trust him, especially since these "hard times" had started when he had shown up. Was that a mere coincidence? She thought not, but she couldn't run to Randor and ask him to send his brother away without a good reason. Oh, she had a good reason, but she didn't want to tear apart her husband's family.

Looking at Adam laugh at his uncle, she realized what she had to do. Adam obviously needed and wanted Stefen's presence for right now, so she would simply make sure Stefen didn't influence her son negatively, as Randor had feared initially. That meant as long as Stefen stayed in this room with her son, she would, too, and any time Stefen seemed to want to get Adam off to himself, she would be right there to stop it. Adam would have his companion, but she'd be able to keep her eye on them. That would surely calm all the chaos that had been occurring recently.

Now that she had a game plan, she was determined to see it through. She looked around the room and grabbed a chair from his desk. She dragged it the short distance to sit in front of them. She smiled at her son good-humoredly and replied, "Well, I suppose that wouldn't have been much of a reward for a young man who is looking to have fun."

Adam bowed his head, frowned, and mumbled, "I'm sorry, Mother. I truly am, but I want you to know that I'm done. What happened today because of my actions was far worse than I could have ever imagined, so I've learned my lesson."

Stefen nudged him with his shoulder and asked, "Oh, really…well, what about Ashlyn?"

Adam sighed.

She raised her brow and looked at Adam questioningly. "What about Ashlyn?"

"Nothing," he answered, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter."

"Of course, it does!" exclaimed Stefen. "You pretty much just promised to never go out and see her again! Is that what you really want?"

Marlena watched as her son struggled with an answer. He clearly felt that he needed to say one answer but wanted desperately to say another. To stop whatever answer he came up with, she asked, "You really care about this girl, don't you, Adam?"

He took a deep breath and let his head fall back onto his bed, so he could stare at the ceiling. "Yes, I care about her," he agreed, bringing his head back down to look at her, "but what does that matter now? I've lost her and Teela…it doesn't matter."

Now, she really was confused. She wrinkled her eyebrows and said, "What do you mean you've lost Ashlyn and Teela?"

Adam widened his eyes a little and she quickly realized this was one of those discussions that he did not want to have with his mother. Luckily, someone else in the room was only too happy to explain.

King Stefen supplied cheerfully, "Ashlyn has given Adam a week to decide if he wants to court her, because she wants to court him. Our boy, Adam, here does like her, but he also likes a certain other redhead of our acquaintance, who just told him she hated him today. I think the answer is pretty clear what he should do…if we can convince Randor to give the girl a chance."

Adam glanced at Stefen and was about to speak when she interrupted. "Adam, before you agree with your uncle, let me give you a woman's perspective in all of this. I don't know this Ashlyn, but I do know Teela. Today was not a good day for her: she spent half the day searching for you and when she got backed, she lost one of her jobs shortly thereafter. And, of course, she believes that might not have happened if you hadn't run off. Now, I have information that she doesn't—Randor had been thinking about removing her from that position for a while. He was just waiting for the right opportunity. Teela was reprimanding you far too often and loudly, and I happen to agree with his decision, even though I do know it has broken Teela's heart, but it'll heal. Anyway, she told you she hated you, because she wants to blame someone else other than herself and you are a prime candidate. Adam, she doesn't hate you, not even in the slightest. So before you make a decision, why don't you talk to Teela about your feelings?"

He gaped at her. "Mother, are you…are you telling me you're okay with me courting Teela?"

She smiled at him. "Of course, I am. She is a fine young woman, Adam. I would give the union my full blessings. I've known for quite some time that you fancied her and I never had a doubt in my mind that she would be a good queen to have at your side."

Adam continued to stare at her in disbelief, but he also blushed profusely, which caused Stefen and Marlena to laugh a little. Eventually, though, he shook himself and said, "Wow, a week ago I would have never thought I'd be discussing girls with my mother and uncle!" He chuckled as he shook his head, but in the process, he saw someone in the corner of his eye. He turned completely and exclaimed, "Father!"

King Randor walked farther into the bedroom and narrowed his eyes.

=)=)=)

Even though they had been best friends during most of their childhood, Randor and Stefen had always competed with each other for everything. It didn't matter what it was! Whether it had been outperforming the other with grades from the tutor or courting a girl the other had taken a liking to, they always felt obligated to one-up the other. It had become habit when they were kids…and standing here now at the threshold of Adam's room, he wondered if Stefen was up to his old games again.

As he stepped into Adam's room, he couldn't help but notice the picture-perfect family moment until they had noticed him: his wife had been sitting in a chair smiling and laughing as her son had been teased by a laughing man sitting right beside him on the floor. If he didn't know the participants and he had been a stranger, he would have assumed they were father and son. He narrowed his eyes even further and then shook his head at himself. He was being ridiculous and paranoid—his brother was not trying to steal his family from him just because he had hit a rough patch with Liana right now. Stefen was probably lonely and spending time with people who he knew wouldn't abandon him. They were all family. It was simply an uncle-and-nephew moment, and Marlena was simply laughing at Adam's discomfiture. Nothing more and nothing less.

"What's going on in here?" the king asked, trying to seem amused but could tell from everyone's expressions that he had failed.

"We were just talking about random things, brother," answered Stefen, "and embarrassing your son."

Randor went to his wife, stood behind her, and placed his hands on her shoulders in a possessive manner instinctively. His brother currently had his arm around Adam and he squeezed his shoulder and pulled the boy to him playfully.

He frowned for a brief moment and then said, "I came to speak with Adam privately about today."

Stefen raised an eyebrow and replied, "Oh! Okay, well, I guess that's our cue to leave!" He got off the floor and looked to Marlena.

Randor didn't lift his hands from Marlena's shoulders. He shook his head and stated, "Marlena can stay, of course."

Stefen nodded and repeated, "Of course." He left the room quickly and shut the door.

The king stared at it for a while before he turned his attention to his family. He studied them for a several moments and then asked, "Is there something I should know?"

=)=)=)

Adam looked at his father and noticed that he looked upset.

"Like what, Father?" he questioned carefully. He was worried that the king thought he had done something else deserving of his wrath.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just asking."

Adam was not sure what was wrong, but he could tell his father wasn't being quite truthful. He continued to watch as the king stepped from behind his mother and walked to the side. He noticed that his father was studying his wife carefully, and his mother actually looked unnerved by his actions! He had never seen either act in such a manner before!

" _What's happening_?" he thought to himself. It almost looked like his father expected his mother to reveal some kind of horrible truth that she had been keeping to herself, and then the king turned that look to him.

He got up from his spot on the floor as his father came to stand beside him. "I've told you everything that you should know, Father, I promise," he answered, hoping that would soothe the tension in the room, even though he wasn't quite sure why it was there in the first place.

"Shall we?" the king asked him as he gestured to the bed. Both sat on the mattress and faced the queen.

Adam almost wished his uncle was still in the room to lighten things up. King Stefen surely would have a well-timed joke that would have made everyone smile. He couldn't offer one himself, because he had no doubt his father would consider that another display of his many faults. Wanting to avoid that, he remained quiet and looked from parent to parent.

Something was definitely going on. " _Did I cause this_?" Adam asked himself suddenly. He wondered if he had somehow hurt not only Teela but his entire family in some unalterable way. Maybe his parents had argued about him and now they were at odds! That would make sense. He swallowed roughly and closed his eyes to hold in the tears he felt building.


	24. He Knows

Against Nature Chapter 24

He had never felt so bad in his entire life. He was determined not to cry, but the incredible guilt he felt was taking a toll on his psyche. He knew it was his own fault. He had willingly done things that he had known to be wrong. He couldn't believe that he had made such bad choices! " _How could I have been so stupid_?" he thought to himself.

He wouldn't blame anyone but himself, but he knew he got caught up in so many things that he let it all get to him. On the first night when his uncle had asked him to go explore the city with him—while he had been interested in doing something his own father had done with his uncle—he had mainly gone to make sure King Stefen didn't get into trouble by himself in Eternos. And, that had backfired. He was the one who ended up getting into trouble. He hadn't known at that time that his mother and he could barely tolerate Eternian liquor, and he hadn't known he was getting high that first night either.

Man-at-Arms had protected him the following day, but he had also told him that he had made a bad choice in going…but that didn't stop him from doing it again. It was bad enough that he got Madelia shut down, but now he was hurting people. When he ran off with Ashlyn, he hadn't anticipated his father giving him a new bodyguard. (Even though his mother had told him he was thinking about doing it before now anyway.) Truthfully, he hadn't thought about the consequences at all at the time. Because of his actions, Ashlyn now knew he was He-Man, Man-at-Arms and Teela were angry with him, and now it seemed like his parents were holding some kind of animosity towards one another. That could only be his fault.

"Son?" he heard his father question.

When he opened his eyes, his father and mother gasped. "Adam, what's wrong?" the queen cried as she got up and went to him. He glanced over to a nearby mirror and noticed that his eyes were very red, no doubt from trying to hold back the tears.

He sighed and thought, " _Everything is wrong_." Instead of saying that, however, he looked at them pitifully and cried, "I'm so sorry!" He bowed his head. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen! I was completely wrong and I know this, but please don't argue over me." He looked up to his mother. "Mom, if you're fighting with Father because you're trying to stick up for me, please don't. I deserve every bit of punishment he gives me."

She furrowed her brow and laid a hand across his cheek. "Adam, where is this coming from? I'm not fighting with your father."

Both of his parents looked at one another questioningly, and he exclaimed, "Well, something is wrong! I can cut the tension in this room with a knife!"

Randor put an arm around his son and replied, "We're not fighting over you, son, I promise. So, don't worry about it. Your mother and I are fine. Instead, let's discuss why we are here." There was a brief pause as the king contemplated what to say. "I thought about everything you've said earlier. I can understand a lot of it. You said you are your own man now and can make your own decisions. I do recognize that, Adam. I understand your words and actions far more than you know."

Adam met his eyes cautiously and was relieved to see that there was no anger present.

The king pressed his lips together firmly for a moment and then stated, "But, I want you to understand my position. You are my son and the Prince of Eternia. You can't go to bars with people who drink and do drugs, not only because those substances are bad for you, but because it's unbecoming of a prince. You're at an age where we must worry constantly about your reputation, which is why I didn't want you running off with Ashlyn. Despite your usual faults, you are well-liked and have established a good name for yourself. We cannot allow that to change. Our people need to be confident in the fact that you're mature and able to make decisions for our kingdom at any given time. I won't be here forever, so the time to worry about these things is now." He shook his head and added, "I don't do these things to keep you secluded or to take any of the joys out of life. I just want you to benefit from my mistakes, son."

The prince nodded. "I do understand that, Father, and I truly am sorry for my actions."

The king reached over and hugged him. "I'm glad to hear it. So, no more sneaking out?"

Adam smiled and replied, "No more sneaking out to go to bars or any other such places, I promise." He hoped the king didn't catch on to the fact that he hadn't promised to stop sneaking out completely. After all, he couldn't do that, because the Sorceress might need He-Man at any given time and didn't want to lie anymore than he had to.

The king nodded and stood. "Good. Well, see you in a few hours for dinner." When Adam nodded, the king extended his hand to his wife and together they walked out into the corridor.

=)=)=)

The king and queen walked through the hall quietly as they made their way to their bedchambers. Neither wanted to admit it, but Adam had been right earlier. There had been tension between them—he had simply been wrong about the reason. Or at least Randor thought Adam was wrong about the reason.

When they made it to their room, Marlena didn't waste any time going to her closet and pulling out a change of clothes. When she turned around, she looked at him briefly and with a sigh stated, "Today has been a long day. I'm going to take a long, soothing bath and just relax." At his nod, she went into the lavatory.

Randor sat on his bed to reflect on everything alone. Marlena and he had a wonderful marriage…and yet, today, they felt like strangers: she wasn't confiding in him and she could barely look at him. Those were bad signs, and the last time Marlena had acted this way, there had been something horribly wrong…

At that time, it had been several months since Marlena had crashed onto the planet, and Randor had already found himself falling in love with her. They had a habit of spending every morning together before breakfast since they both enjoyed getting up early, but on one particular day, he hadn't been able to find her anywhere. He had searched the gardens, the museum, and anywhere else he could imagine her being, but he never found her. Feeling more than a little worried, right before breakfast he had decided to go to the guest chambers to see if, by chance, she had overslept. When he arrived, he had given the door a small knock. When no reply had come, he went inside anyway.

He had expected to find the room empty, but instead, he had found Marlena sitting on the edge of her bed. She had refused to look at him, but he hadn't needed her to, really. He could see that she had been incredibly upset. After he had begged her to tell him why for the better part of an hour, she finally relented and told him she was confused and angry because of something that had happened that very morning. One of the guards had approached her and made some unwanted sexual advances, as well as a few derogatory comments about her being from another planet. She had taken care of it herself supposedly with some wise retorts that he had known she was far capable of dishing out, but the incident had happened in front of others, including some women from his court. She knew through their taunts after the event that they had put the guard up to it…so she had decided to avoid them that day to stop any conflicts that might have occurred otherwise.

His reaction had been instant. He promised her she wouldn't have to deal with them that day or ever again. He had relieved the guard of his duties and sent those women home to never come to court again. She hadn't wanted him to take such measures, but as he had told her at the time, they had been there at his pleasure. Anyone's presence at court was by invitation only from the king. He wouldn't have people around him that stirred up trouble and acted so horribly to one of his special guests.

He hadn't put up with it then and he wouldn't put up with it now. He knew to predict the future one had to look at the past. Marlena acted this way before when someone had upset her, so it was likely someone had upset her again…and he wasn't going to have it. He knew his feelings on the matter were probably why she didn't want to tell him. She knew he'd act strongly, but sometimes that had to be done. Looking at the lavatory door, he decided he would get it out of her slowly so she wouldn't feel ambushed. Smiling gamely, he stripped himself of his clothes as he walked to the door. By the time he walked into the room, he was completely naked.

=)=)=)

Marlena had her eyes closed as she rested her head on the back of the tub. Bubbles from the oils she had mixed into her bath water made her skin tingle with delight as she lay there unmoving, letting the water rush over her in gentle waves. Breathing in the exotic fumes that now scented the room, she tried desperately to relax and forget about the day, but she found it difficult.

And then, she felt a wet hand touch her cheek. Not in the least bit concerned, she smiled and opened her eyes to see Randor bent beside her, smiling gently. She noticed his state of undress and asked softly, "Are you planning on joining me or do you wish to walk around in a state of undress for the rest of the day?"

He grinned at her and answered, "I would like to say both, but since we do have dinner to attend later in the day, I don't think that would be wise."

She laughed a little and then scooted forward in the tub. "Get in," she ordered.

Without delay, he climbed in behind her and as soon as he leaned against the back of the tub, Marlena placed herself between his legs and rested her back on his chest. "Hmm, I love this," she mumbled as she closed her eyes again; "We haven't shared a bath in quite awhile."

Randor wrapped his arms around her waist, ran one of his hands back and forth across her skin, and replied, "I'm sorry, my dear. Things have been rather hectic, haven't they? But I've missed this myself. I think we need to set aside a special time each week to do this. What do you think?"

She continued to grin. "I could live with that."

"Then it's settled," he said as he leaned his head forward and kissed her cheek and then her neck. She hummed in approval and before she could respond in any kind of way, verbal or physical, he added firmly, "I love you, Marlena. You know that, right?"

She leaned forward and turned her head around as far as she could to look at him. "Well, after talking me into staying on this planet, twenty-three years of marriage, and two kids, I had better, don't you think?" She widened her grin and replied honestly, "Of course, I do, Randor. I love you, too." Then, she sighed, already knowing why he asked the question in the first place. As he tightened his hold on her, she mumbled, "I'm sorry that I haven't been myself today, my love. So much is going on…I don't mean to worry you."

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek again. "Yes, well, that's actually something I wanted to talk to you about, my dear. What has been bothering you? And, don't say Adam because I know that isn't true, okay?"

Marlena turned around abruptly and leaned back against him again. As she leaned her head on his shoulder, they could see each other's faces a lot easier now. She glanced up at him worriedly, then picked up one of his hands, and began to fiddle with it.

"Marlena?" he questioned, trying to persuade her gently into telling him what was wrong. When she remained quiet, he whispered in her ear, "You're not going to make me beg, are you? You know I'll do it. I can't stand to see you upset, my dear, so let me help."

She smiled in spite of herself and let out a little half-laugh and half-sob. She then moved away and turned around completely in the tub to face him. She had tried to protect him from this truth to spare him some heartache, but it seemed as though he was going to have that anyway if she kept this a secret. She knew she had to tell him.

She met his gaze apprehensively and said softly, "Now, I'm going to ask you. You know I love you, right?" She watched as her husband swallowed roughly and his throat contracted several times.

He nodded, shook himself almost as if he were chilled, and answered, "Yes, I know you love me, Marlena…but I hope you know it scares me deeply that you've started off the conversation this way. Despite that, I'm ready to hear whatever you have to say."

She leaned forward in the tub and met his lips for a brief kiss. "There's no reason to be concerned in regards to our relationship, Randor," she whispered. "At least, I don't think there's cause. The truth is something occurred today…something I wanted to keep from you because I didn't want to see you hurt. But damn you for knowing me so well." She smiled at him. "You know I'm holding something back, so that's going to be as much torture I think if I don't tell you."

He agreed, "It would be, if not more." He then grabbed her hand and held it gently. "So, I've just been warned in not so many words that whatever you have to say is bad. Just tell me."

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes temporarily, and said a little prayer silently. When she reopened her eyes, she spoke softly, "When you left earlier for your meeting with Garn, your brother and I remained in the throne room together." She noticed that his eyes had darkened and a shadow seemed to come over his entire face. Despite this, she kept going. "We began discussing Stefen's problems with Liana. I don't really remember what I said, but it was something to the effect of Liana being crazy if she wanted out of this family." She paused to reach up and hold Randor's cheek so she could hold his gaze. She didn't want him to look anywhere else. "I honestly believe he got caught up in the moment, Randor. He probably didn't know what he was doing."

She watched him frown and he brought his hand up to place over hers. "Tell me," he said with a guttural voice.

She forced herself to maintain eye contact as she whispered, "He…he kissed me."

Then, all expression left Randor. It almost seemed like he hadn't heard her at all.

"Randor?" she questioned. When he still remained silent, she cried, "Randor? Just say something!" And, at that moment, she noticed that her husband's skin had reddened and a scowl had appeared on his face.

"He kissed you?" he question in a voice that did not sound like his own. It sounded almost inhuman. When she nodded, he asked, "How?"

She paused and wrinkled her brow. "What do you mean 'how?'"

He gritted his teeth and snapped, "Marlena, you know what I mean. Was it a simple meeting of the lips or something more?"

She quickly rushed forward and slipped her arms around him. As she rested her head on his shoulder, she could feel the tremors spreading throughout his body. With tears slipping down her cheeks, she answered, "Initially, he tried to…do more than a simple meeting of the lips, but I pulled away and slapped him instantly. I left the room as quickly as I could, I assure you."

After she finished speaking, Randor wrapped his arms around her tightly for a moment, rubbed her back, and then pushed her away softly. He then sprung out of the tub and she could tell he was suddenly a man on a mission. "Oh, God!" she exclaimed. Immediately, she jumped out of the tub as Randor walked into their bedroom without a towel. She threw on her dress she had taken into the lavatory with her and ran into the bedroom to see her husband sprinting to his closet. He grabbed one of his red robes and slipped it over his head. Without bothering with to grab his blue outer robe from the floor, he started marching towards the door.

"Randor!" she exclaimed as she ran to the door and blocked it.

"Get out of the way, Marlena!" he spat as he walked up to her.

"Why?" she asked loudly. "What are you planning on doing? I'm not going to let you out of this room until I know you're calm and thinking rationally, so sit on the bed and let's talk this out."

Not wanting to put his hands on his wife in anger to get her to move, he breathed deeply and did as she asked. He went to his bed and sat down but he was hardly still. His leg pounced up and down uncontrollably, which was a sure sign of his anxiety. She walked over and sat on his lap to stop his actions, as well as to calm him. "I love you," she whispered, "and only you. It was just a stupid mistake on your brother's part, and I'm sure he'll never do it again."

Randor focused his attention on his wife and leaned toward her to seek out her lips desperately. After kissing for several long minutes, he pulled away and said, "Ancients, Marlena, I love you so much and I can't stand the thought of someone taking you away from me, especially my own brother."

She grabbed his head with both hands and stared deeply into his eyes. "That's not going to happen EVER, so forget about it. There's no reason to worry."

"I don't think that's possible," he replied sadly. "I know I can trust you, but…I hate that every bad thought I've had about my brother has turned out to be right recently." He then paused. He gritted his teeth again and said, "The maids told me they saw something earlier today. You said you left the room to get away from him after he kissed you, but the maids saw you and Stefen come out of a utility closet near the conference room. Is that where the kiss took place?"

She could feel him shaking again. "No," she answered softly. "It happened in the throne room and I left like I said…but Stefen followed me."

Randor widened his eyes.

"He only wanted to talk, but I didn't know it at the time. I took off running and instinctively I found myself going to the conference room to get to you, but he grabbed me at the last minute. He forced me into the utility closet, so he could talk to me and explain that it was a mistake…"

Randor stood up abruptly but held onto her to make sure she wouldn't fall. He shook his head and grimaced as he thought about his brother's actions. "He should never have touched you and he certainly shouldn't have forced you into a closet."

"Randor," she pleaded.

"I don't care what his excuse was. If it was so innocent, he should have come to tell me himself!" he said softly but fiercely. He brought his hand up to his wife's face and said, "You can't keep me in here forever, my dear, and I'm afraid you can't stop me this time."

Abruptly, he turned and marched speedily out of the room with Marlena close on his heels.


	25. The King Knows

Against Nature Chapter 25

King Stefen stood just inside his bedchambers and peeked out into the hall as he heard the sound of a door shutting. He observed his brother and Marlena walk together towards the Royal Suite. With a grimace, he noticed that Randor had placed his hand at the small of his wife's back, almost possessively even though they thought they were alone, and led her into their rooms.

When the door shut, he leaned back against the doorframe and sighed. Randor was catching on. Stefen had hoped fervently that his brother would remain blissfully ignorant of the things that were happening around him, but no amount of wishing had helped—he had found out about his son's doings and put a stop to it.

And now, Randor was about to find out about his.

He knew it was going to happen, because he had almost seen the wheels turning in his brother's mind in Adam's bedchambers earlier. The way Randor had conducted himself was proof enough. He had entered the room and practically glared at all of them. And, what was the first thing he did after that? He stood behind Marlena, placed his hands on her shoulders, and pulled her back towards him as he leaned forward. His actions spoke louder than words, " _She's mine_!" Then, he had gotten rid of him—he had made him leave the room and made sure Marlena stayed even though he had supposedly gone in there to talk with Adam _alone_.

He shook his head and realized it was all going to come crashing down unless he found a way to pacify his brother. He didn't know how and he was afraid he wouldn't have the time to figure it out. Randor had led Marlena to their bedchambers even though it was nowhere near bedtime. He obviously wanted to get her alone, undoubtedly to talk…and that was going to be their ultimate undoing. He was surprised Randor wasn't already charging out of his room like a bull.

Randor and he had competed over girls before, and each had won over the other many times. Some had preferred the brother who was the life of the party while others had preferred the mature, future King of Eternia…or they were simply after the throne.

It had started out as pure sibling jealousy on his part. He had seen how girls flocked towards Randor, so he wanted to show him that he was desirable, too. Eventually, though, it had gotten out of hand and to the point where Randor had asked him to stop, saying that it was cruel to the girls involved if he didn't really have feelings for them. So, he had stopped and he never went after girls that Randor seemed interested in again. Fortunately for him, there hadn't been many and the few that his brother did seem to like soon lost their favor for unknown reasons. He supposed the future High King had been waiting for Marlena to arrive even though neither man had even been aware of her existence at the time.

Again, he found himself wondering if Marlena would have chosen to be with Randor if he had also been with his brother on that faithful day she had crashed onto the planet. He knew it was foolish to contemplate such things since he couldn't change the past, but he couldn't help it. She was an amazing woman…and unfortunately for him, because she was such a perfect and ideal wife and queen, he already knew she wouldn't allow herself to fall for any other man. She would never leave Randor unless the circumstances were extreme. On the one hand, he was glad because she wouldn't allow Randor's heart to be ripped out by his own brother, but on the other, he was sad that she wouldn't give him a chance.

Not for the first time, he found himself completely jealous. His brother had a wonderful life: he ruled the entire planet and he had a perfect family. Not only was his wife everything a man could wish for, his son was also ideal. Adam was such a fine young man and so susceptible to learning the ways of court and life in general. Even with his recent rebellion, the boy hadn't gone too far: he hadn't spouted hatred towards his father as many other young men would have in similar situations; he hadn't taken advantage of his running away by having sex with random girls who would have loved to spend the afternoon in the arms of the High Prince; and he hadn't blamed his uncle for any of his mishaps even though they both knew the King of Dyperia had set him on that path in the first place. No, Adam took responsibility for the things he had done as a man should.

Of course, Stefen was also proud of Dal. He was a good boy, too, but the truth was his son was a little spoiled and acted foolishly sometimes in ways that would be detrimental to the kingdom and sometimes even his own life. He remembered the time his son had given him a supposed magical rock that made people invincible—Dal had almost gotten him killed that day. The boy just didn't think before he acted sometimes. The more he got to know Adam, the more he realized Adam would never make some of the mistakes Dal had in the past.

Yes, he had many reasons to be a little jealous of his brother.

Sighing again, he banged his lightly on the doorframe behind him. He knew he had to find a way to handle Randor and his inevitable fury.

=)=)=)

Adam laid back down on his bed next to Cringer, who had fallen asleep at some point during one of his many discussions that afternoon. He had a lot of things to contemplate and a lot of time to do it since dinner was several hours away. Realizing that his uncle was right, he had to look at the bright side of things: he now had plenty of time to think and sleep for a change. He smiled at that.

The one topic that held dominance in his mind at that particular moment was his dilemma with Ashlyn and Teela. He didn't know what he was going to do. When he had arrived home, he had planned on speaking with Teela and admitting his feelings…but he didn't know how that would be possible now. First of all, she was no longer his bodyguard, so he wouldn't have as much time with her as he used to, especially since she and her father were mad at him. He also wouldn't be hanging out with them like he normally would. Besides, he was confined to his bedchambers right now and they certainly weren't going to come see him! And, then of course, there's the fact that she told him that she hated him. In the back of his mind ever since he had received the Sword of Power, he had feared that possibility. Prince Adam had changed into the type of man Teela despised and he had always feared hearing those words…and now he had. What if she really meant them? His mother was convinced she didn't, but no one knew for sure.

And, then there was Ashlyn. He liked her; he really did. And, amazingly, she liked him, too. He didn't believe it had anything to do with the crown he rarely wore and that he would one day be the King of Eternia. If that were true, she would have tried to get on his father's good side and not suggested that he do things that they knew would make him mad. Instead, she had wanted to hang out with him and get to know him as a normal person. He had to admit it was very refreshing, especially since she didn't judge and question him all the time like Teela did. But of course, he realized he was being a little unfair to Teela when he made that observation. Teela had grown up with him, so she literally saw the big change in him. She had seen him go from a decent prince to a buffoon almost overnight. Not to mention, Ashlyn had the advantage of knowing who he really was. She didn't see him as cowardly and carefree Prince Adam. No, she knew he was He-Man, too, so she knew both pseudo-personas in a way that Teela didn't. She had the advantage of knowing that neither represented the true Adam. Ashlyn knew enough to discover who he really was, and even though it might sound a little smug, he knew she would like that guy. He rarely showed his true self to anyone anymore, but he really was an okay guy, one that he really wished he could be publicly. At least with Ashlyn, he would have the opportunity to court a girl without feeling guilty about not being who he really was with her…

Of course, that didn't really matter. Even though Ashlyn had many positives on her side of the debate, she did have a major strike against her. The king didn't approve of her, and he wasn't allowed to see her anymore. That wouldn't be much of a courtship and it pretty much cancelled out the fact that he could be his true self around her, because he wouldn't be around her in the first place. But of course, the same thing could be said about Teela. She wouldn't want to be around him again after today. Everything was just a huge mess, and as he laid there in bed, he realized his earlier assessment was probably right: he had lost them both.

=)=)=)

Randor never felt such conflicting emotions before: he was angry, almost to the point that he wanted to turn his back on his usual stance on fighting and make his brother scream apologies for daring to touch his wife. He felt as though the action might even bring him some pleasure…but he also felt guilty for feeling that way. He had promised himself long ago that he would be a man of peace in everything he did. It didn't matter if he were handling personal or worldly matters; he didn't want to result to violence to get his way or to make his position known. He believed wholeheartedly that there were better ways to do that, and he had stuck to that belief for his entire reign as king, except for when he had been forced to fight with no other choice available. He was shocked to find himself capable—after all this time of self-conditioning—of turning to violence because someone had acted in a way that had hurt him.

He paused in the hallway as he realized the truth. He felt his wife wrap her hands around his bicep as he closed his eyes. "Randor?" he heard her question, but he couldn't reply, because at that moment, he realized why he was acting in such a deplorable manner: he never had anyone betray him like this before, and it hurt deeply. Yes, one could argue he had been through and overcome worse. Hordak had stolen Adora after all, and he had lived through that…but this was different. Hordak hadn't owed him the least bit of loyalty. They were enemies, and as such, kidnapping his daughter had been part of that struggle.

But Stefen was his brother! Stefen owed him loyalty, not only as a member of the Eternian government but as a beloved family member! He loved Stefen and his brother had betrayed him most horribly. That's why he was so angry. He knew he didn't really have to worry about Marlena leaving him—he knew that from the beginning. He was simply angry because his brother had hurt him in a way he hadn't expected, in a way no one would have expected.

Tears slipped down his cheeks when he opened them, and Marlena stepped in front of him and raised her hands to wipe the moisture away. "I love you," she whispered, staring into his eyes with a deep intensity that did not belie her words in any way.

Despite his prior turbulent thoughts, she made him forget about everything but her.

He relaxed as she met his lips with hers, but he quickly took control of the situation. He didn't kiss her with the desperateness that he had before when he had first learned of his brother's actions; instead, he kissed her slowly and took care to plan each movement of his lips and hands. He ran his tongue over her lips and when she opened them, he sucked on her bottom lip and then her top. When his tongue finally slipped into her mouth to duel with hers, he ran his hands down her body to rest on her hips. He then pulled her to him tightly and she whimpered in response.

He pulled back a little to make sure he hadn't hurt her. He thought he had firm control of himself and that his actions had been done gently, but he wanted to be sure. He smiled as his wife looked at him wantonly.

"Randor," she whispered, "make love to me. Today has been such a horrible day and has been dominated with the horrible thoughts of another man kissing me. Instead of leaving to find him, stay and make me forget what happened. Please."

He hugged her to him tightly. He knew what she was doing: she was intentionally speaking to the primitive man inside himself. She was afraid he was going to attack Stefen, so she was trying to distract him in a way that only she could. He decided he'd allow it, because he felt the need to do exactly as she asked before she had even stated the words. The only reason he hadn't before now is because he had thought she would see his actions as jealousy and she might be opposed to it.

Pulling back so they could look into each other's eyes again, he replied simply, "Yes." He took her by the hand, kissed it, and then led her back into their bedchambers. When they stood near the side of their bed, he gathered the bottom of her dress in his hands and pulled it over her head. She did the same with his robe, and then he pushed her softly onto the mattress and watched her slide upward to rest her head on the pillows. She reached out for him, and he slowly covered her body with his. "I love you," he stated as he kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her eyelids, her nose, and then finally her mouth tenderly.

Soon, they found themselves moving slowly against one another at a pace neither had wanted since he had took her for the first time twenty-three years ago. Now, both did it instinctively, and Randor knew it was probably because they wanted to feel every bit of movement of the other and to pick their actions with the utmost love, care, and passion. Personally, he wanted to do this as slow as possible to prolong not only the physical sensations but the sense of oneness that he got every time Marlena and he came together like this. He felt it now, and usually he would have closed his eyes at that moment to savor the feeling even more, but this time, he continued to stare at his queen as she stared right back at him. He couldn't look away, because her emotions and the pleasure she felt was made bare for him to see. Also, the soft moans she gave as a result of his efforts made him want to continue like this for the rest of their lives, but as she clutched his forearms with both hands and shook almost convulsively, he knew it was impossible.

He was going to have such a good time trying, though…

Several hours later, the chronometer chimed on the wall, and Randor and Marlena realized they were late for dinner. They laid in each other's arms exhaustedly and both sighed at the sound.

"Must we go to dinner tonight?" his wife asked as she stretched beside him. He smiled as his eyes travelled up and down her body, enjoying the view she was giving him.

He leaned over, met her lips softly for a moment, but before he could answer a knock reverberated throughout the room. He groaned, slipped on his robe, and opened the door.

Randor didn't know who he had expected, but he surely hadn't expected to see him.

King Stefen stood before him, and as soon as their eyes met, he stated quickly, "Brother, you and I need to have a serious discussion and it can't wait for another moment. May I come in?"

=)=)=)

Randor narrowed his eyes at his brother and then glanced back at Marlena. There were so many responses he wanted to have at his brother's presence and words. Like earlier, part of him wanted to hit Stefen, but he knew his wife would want to get involved at that point and she was currently undressed, clutching the sheets to her chest. Not wanting to put her in that position, he sighed and replied, "Marlena and I need to make ourselves decent. Wait right here." He closed the door and locked it.

He went back to the bed and said, "Stefen's at the door. He wants to talk to me about something serious, he says. I need you to get dressed and leave the room."

"Randor," she whispered, "are you sure that's such a good idea? I know you're still angry with your brother right now and I don't want to see you two go to war over a mistake."

He closed his eyes and stated resolutely, "I will not hit him. You have my word, Marlena. Yes, I may be tempted, but I won't actually do it. Now, let me see what he wants and then I'll discuss what he did afterward. I promise to remain as calm as possible, my dear."

She nodded and quickly got ready for dinner. Each got in their usual outfits and put their crowns back on. As he walked her to the door, he told her, "You should go get Adam and escort him to the dining hall. I don't want you alone and he's supposed to be accompanied at all times anyway."

At his wife's nod, he took a deep breath to keep himself mellow and opened the door.

Stefen was still there and the Dyperian king stepped aside as Marlena slipped out without looking at him. She turned to look at Randor one last time and flashed him a look that he knew instinctively meant that he needed to be good. He smiled at her as she walked away and entered Adam's bedchambers.

He then looked at his brother and his supposed happy demeanor melted away. "Come in," he ordered calmly as he stepped aside.

Stefen entered and immediately stood in the center of the room. Randor noticed his brother had glanced at their unkempt bed, and he narrowed his eyes as Stefen sighed. Then, they stared at one another for a few moments.

"You said you wanted to speak with me about something important?" Randor finally stated, trying to stay hospitable for the time being. It was hard, but he wanted to see what his brother was going to say before the fireworks started.

Stefen nodded slowly and rubbed the back of his neck absentmindedly. "Yes," he answered. "The problem is I don't know how to do it." He met his brother's eyes. "I have to come clean about something, Randor, and I know you're going to be furious with me. You might even hate me."

The High King widened his eyes. He knew then why Stefen was here! He was going to tell him he had kissed Marlena and why he had done so! He turned away for a moment. Until that moment had arrived, he hadn't realized how badly he _didn't_ want to hear his brother tell him about it. It was such an awkward and inappropriate situation that had occurred that he knew the discussion would be hard to handle on both sides.

But he knew they needed to do this, no matter how bad the outcome.

He looked at his brother again and replied, "Just say it, Stefen. We'll deal with the consequences afterward."

"Okay," mumbled Stefen; "Okay." Then, there was a long pause before he finally told him. "Randor…today I did something that I know you will find unforgivable. I want to tell you ahead of time that I'm truly sorry and that I didn't mean for it to happen." Their eyes met and he continued softly, "I…kissed your queen today."

Randor once again felt a hodgepodge of emotions overwhelm him, but for once his anger did not take precedence surprisingly, even though it was a close second. Instead, tears filled his eyes as he saw a few slip down his brother's cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, brother," cried Stefen. "Before you say anything, please let me explain!"

The only thing Randor found himself able to do was nod and steel himself to hear what he was sure would hurt him more deeply than he already was. He hoped his compassion and composure stayed with him after the fact and that anger wouldn't take control.


	26. Stefen's Suggestion

Against Nature Chapter 26

Duncan was in his workshop feeling completely overwhelmed. He sat at his workbench and stared absentmindedly at the tools in front of him. Everything was falling apart and he had no idea how to put it all back together again, even though that had been his job for so many years. When it came to people, instead of machines, it was infinitely more difficult. For so many reasons, he wanted to be angry. At who? That was the question that kept plaguing him since all of this had started.

First and foremost, there was himself. He had made the mistake of covering for Prince Adam and King Stefen the first time they came back to the palace from Madelia. He should have known better, but he had wanted to protect Adam. He should have known things would get worse. He had heard all about Stefen from Randor. He said Stefen had been rambunctious in his younger years. He should have realized all of that wasn't behind Stefen when he brought Adam home intoxicated. He should have known the king would get Adam into more trouble. He should have let the chips fall where they may and allowed Randor to handle both his brother and his son. His interference that day didn't do any good whatsoever. It simply allowed Adam to go out a few more times and get more attached to this Ashlyn character.

Then, of course, that brought him to Adam. He could be downright furious with him if he tried…and even if he didn't. The boy had willingly gone out with King Stefen to Madelia when he knew it was wrong, and he didn't do it only once. No, he had done it multiple times! During those occasions, he either made himself sick or made a spectacle of himself in some form or fashion. The person who he shined to the most was Ashlyn, and that girl was proving to have a big influence on Adam. He honestly didn't know who was worse: her or Stefen. And, he wasn't even going to think about Adam using He-Man as a means of escape…

And, finally, he couldn't forget about Stefen. He was the common denominator in all of this craziness. He is an adult and a king; he was supposed to be responsible. Obviously, no one told him. He purposely asked a young boy to go out with him on the town. Yes, Duncan was quite aware that Adam was twenty and therefore, a man old enough to make his own decisions, but he was also the Prince of Eternia. Regardless, Stefen knew Randor wouldn't like it, but he had done it anyway. He didn't care at all! He cared for no one's feelings but his own.

"Oh, Adam, why did you allow yourself to get mixed up in all of this?" he asked himself softly. He was disappointed in the boy—he had already told him that. He could tell at the time that those words had hurt him greatly. The truth was Adam was a good boy with a heart of gold and a gentle nature. He knew without a doubt in his mind that he hadn't gone out to cause any problems initially, but as Randor had always said when it concerns Stefen, once a person is out there with him, he or she will find him or herself in unfathomable situations where tough choices that needed to be made had no good resolutions. That's where Adam had wound up.

Now, he was being punished for it—he was under the watchful eye of his father, and things were only going to get worse from here. A new bodyguard was definitely going to cause problems for He-Man…and for Teela. He knew his daughter well. She wasn't going to handle someone else taking this position well. Even though she gave Adam a hard time, she loved the job and she loved being with her friend. But that was over now. And, he honestly didn't know where Adam stood with Teela now. That had him worried.

His thoughts were interrupt by the sounds of someone running down the corridor near his workshop. He quickly stuck his head out into the hall and called out, "Excuse me, what's the rush?"

"I'm trying to find the king and queen!" the messenger replied hurriedly. "There is a dragasaurus in Ruxtown near Mount Fear. It's destroying all the homes and establishments. I must tell the king."

Duncan went out into the hall, put a hand on his shoulder, and said, "I'll handle it from here. I'll get word to the king and queen." He paused and added under his breath, "And He-Man."

=)=)=)

Adam sat on his bed reading through one of the case studies his father had given him about a week ago. He figured if he was to be confined to his room, he might as well get some of his royal duties done, so he had sent a guard to round up everything. He was halfway through the report when his door abruptly opened.

"Adam!" exclaimed Man-at-Arms.

The prince quickly sprung off the bed. He was happy to see his mentor, but when he noticed his expression, he knew this wasn't a social call. He frowned as he realized this was business and it in no shape or form meant Man-at-Arms had forgiven him for his recent conduct. "What's wrong, Duncan?" he asked sadly and then cringed when he realized he had called the soldier by his first name. Maybe he didn't have that right anymore. He hastened to correct himself before an issue was made out of it. "I'm sorry, I mean Man-at-Arms."

Duncan raised an eyebrow at this. He watched as the boy lowered his head to the ground and waited to hear whatever would be said in response. He knew Adam thought he was angry with him, and maybe he was, but he didn't want this distance that Adam was assuming they had now. He reached out and grabbed his shoulder comfortingly. "Duncan is still okay, Adam," he said comfortingly. "But for right now, we can't focus on us. There's a dragasaurus on the loose in Ruxtown. We need He-Man!"

Quickly, Adam reached for the Sword of Power, but before he lifted it into the air, he stopped himself. "Wait, what about my parents? They told me not to leave this room. What if they come in here while we're gone?"

"Would you rather not go?" asked Duncan. He wanted to reassure the boy that it would work out, but he wanted to hear Adam's decision on the issue. He had to make the choice for himself.

"Of course I want to go," he replied. "I just…don't want to cause anymore trouble." Tears pooled to his eyes in indecision.

To calm him, Duncan stated, "I'll help you deal with your parents. We don't have time to find them right now, but when we get back I'll tell them I took you with me to help. Surely, they won't have any problems after that.

He nodded and now without hesitation, he lifted his sword and turned into He-Man.

=)=)=)

Stefen knew he had to grovel a little if he was ever going to convince Randor that he was sorry for what he had done. He could tell by looking at him that his brother was trying to control himself and that it was taking a lot of effort. Despite being the cause, he could understand why.

"There is no easy way to say this, Randor. First, I want you to know I did not come to Eternos with any intentions of causing problems. I truly wanted to get away from everything that was happening with Liana…but I must admit seeing you and Marlena made it ten times worse."

"Why?" Randor asked.

"You two are so happy together and so in love. That's what I want. I became so envious of you, brother. Your wife is…an amazing woman. She's kind and compassionate. She treats you with respect and loves you very much. Not to mention, she is very beautiful and a wonderful mother." He paused for a moment to think and then continued, "Marlena was consoling me—she was telling me that Liana was crazy for cheating on me, and that's when I kissed her. It was simply a good feeling to have someone like Marlena saying such nice things about me, especially when all I got from Liana was criticisms recently. I guess I forgot myself and who Marlena was. Can you ever forgive me, brother? I'm sorry for not coming to tell you right away, but I was embarrassed and ashamed…"

He watched as his brother turned around and walked towards the door. Abruptly, he turned around and said, "Can I forgive? Yes…but it might take some time to trust you again around my family. You betrayed my trust in more ways than one with them this week: you disregarded my wishes when it came to Adam. You knew I wouldn't approve of your excursions into the city and you allowed him to do things during those times that you knew I would not allow. Then, with Marlena…you did more than kiss her."

He raised an eyebrow at him. He had no idea what Randor was talking about. "What do you mean?" he questioned.

"You chased her. You knew she was coming to see me, so you grabbed her and forced her into a closet." Randor walked up to him and stated firmly, "I can understand why you kissed Marlena. It doesn't mean I'm not angry about it, but I understand what happened. What I don't understand or forgive at this moment is your actions afterward." He closed his eyes for a second and breathed deeply. "I'm trying to keep my cool here, Stefen, because you're my brother. So, I'm going to say this as nicely as possible: under no circumstances are you allowed to touch my wife. I don't do it in anger, and I certainly won't stand for any other man doing it either. For this reason alone, I cannot and will not allow you to stay in my palace any longer."

Stefen gasped. "Brother!" he exclaimed. "Please, you must believe me when I say that I'm truly sorry. I didn't mean…"

Randor lifted his hand to interrupt him and said, "I know you are sorry, and that is why I'm not banishing you from my kingdom. I appreciate that you came to me about this. That shows me that you regret what happened, but for right now, it's not enough. I need to take care of my family and get things back to the way they are supposed to be. I'm afraid I can't do that with you here. I think you influence Adam; my wife certainly is uncomfortable around you now; and frankly, despite your apologies, I don't know if I can trust you right now. It's best if we all have a break for a while. My people will find you a place to stay in the city. You may visit any time you wish, but I must be aware of your arrival before you step foot inside the palace. Am I understood?"

"But brother…" Stefen tried again.

"Am I understood?" Randor asked a little more hostilely this time. He raised his voice and glared at him.

"Yes, I understand," he answered reluctantly.

Randor nodded and was about to speak again when Marlena suddenly ran back into the room. "Randor, Adam's missing!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Both Stefen and Randor cried.

She nodded and exclaimed, "I went into his room and he was missing, so I went to the dining room to see if he and Cringer had gone there alone, but there wasn't a trace of him there either! And, no one seems to have seen him leave either!"

=)=)=)

Randor lifted a hand to his brow and rubbed it wearily. He had thought from their earlier conversation that Adam had learned his lesson and truly regretted his actions. Evidently, he was wrong. "What am I going to do with that boy?" he asked aloud. "We can't leave him alone for ten minutes without him running off. I need a new bodyguard right away to keep tabs on him and one who is also able to track him down, but the question is who!"

Stefen coughed a little and replied softly, "Perhaps, I can be of some assistance. Remember Raul, my personal sentinel? He has a son who is an incredible soldier. I believe he would be an ideal candidate for the position. Raul and his son Jesse are in Eternos. They followed me from Dyperia on their own and have been keeping their distance. They are most loyal. I can contact them if you'd like."

Randor looked at his brother and replied, "That is a kind offer, Stefen, but I think someone from my own Guard would be more appropriate. Adam will know whoever I choose and…"

"And, that's precisely the problem!" exclaimed Stefen. "He knows your guards. He can predict their reactions to things. He'll be able to outsmart them. Getting someone else entirely will even the playing field. This will be the start of my making things up to you. I'll help you get Adam back under control since it was I who started all of this with him. At least meet with Jesse; I guarantee that you'll find him adequate for the job!"

Randor studied him for a moment. Right now, he was reluctant to accept anything from Stefen after what he had done, but what he said did make a lot of sense. Getting someone Adam couldn't predict and wasn't already friends with was going to be a challenge, and Stefen offered him a perfect solution…if he liked the guy. It wouldn't hurt to meet him. "Okay," he answered finally. "You can set up the meeting, but for right now, I need to find Man-at-Arms and Teela to go out to find him again." He rubbed his forehead again and mumbled, "Sometimes I think that boy is going to lead me to an early grave."

=)=)=)

As Marlena and Randor left the room, Stefen followed with a smile on his face. Jesse would be a great choice indeed. He was sure Adam and he would get along remarkably well. As a matter of fact, he truly believed they would like hanging out together—they'd surely have more fun than Teela and he did. That's for sure.

Then, he chuckled softly as he thought about Adam and Ashlyn. The boy had been worried that he'd never see her again. With Jesse, it (and so many other things) wouldn't be a problem…


	27. Missing Adam

Against Nature Chapter 27

The ride to Ruxtown was excruciating. He-Man didn't know what to do with himself. Should he keep quiet? Should he talk to Duncan like nothing was wrong? Should he apologize for his actions? Should he bring up his father's decision about Teela? None of the options seemed wise and they were the only ones he had. He supposed silence would cause the least problems, so he sighed and stared at the ground far below them.

The Evergreen Forest never seemed so beautiful. He knew it was the same as it always was: the lush greenery and sparkling blue water were almost a constant all year long. He simply recognized that he probably wouldn't get outside the palace walls for some time to come. He'd only see the forest when he was traveling hurriedly to save someone or something as He-Man. That truly wouldn't give him much time to enjoy it. He probably wouldn't enjoy it at all. He'd end up doing exactly what he was doing at that moment: musing on the loss of his freedom.

He didn't blame his father. He knew he had backed his parents into a corner with his actions. He knew the entire time that he would have to face the consequences and that his confinement would be inevitable. He still couldn't believe that his father had relieved Teela of her duties as bodyguard. He hadn't seen that punishment coming at all. According to his mother, though, Teela had been well on her way to that outcome even without his help. His father had been looking for an excuse. Even if he hadn't run off, it would have happened since Teela went to the king and told him about her lapse in judgment when she yelled at him in front of Ashlyn. That's what he considered it: a lapse of judgment.

But she did have that lapse often.

He closed his eyes. No, he wouldn't blame Teela for anything. He was the one who had done the most harm recently. He wondered if they would ever get things back on track. It was ironic in a way. Earlier today he had been worried about telling Teela how much he loved her in a non-platonic way, and now he was consumed with the idea of keeping at least the status quo. He'd rather have her as only a friend than nothing at all…and right now, that's what they had: nothing except a history that had now become painful to the both of them.

He sighed again and he noticed in his peripheral vision that Duncan had turned to look at him briefly.

"Things will work out, He-Man," he said softly.

"Yes," he agreed, "you'll drop me off on the dragasaurus and I'll try to lead it to a new location. You can follow and I'll jump off when we get far enough away from the village." He had done it before with other animals, so he knew it would work now.

"Yes, that's a good plan, but that's not what I'm talking about," he replied.

He-Man looked at him with a long face. It seemed that he wouldn't have to worry about knowing what to do while traveling to Ruxtown. Duncan was going to make the decision for them. The only question was what particular topic he would bring up: his actions, Teela, his punishment…

Duncan didn't wait for a reply from He-Man, he continued, "I know you're upset at yourself right now and that you're worried Teela and I will never forgive you." He paused for a moment and glanced at him for several seconds. "You're like a son to me and Teela loves you. We'll forgive you…I do forgive you. I know you're sorry for your actions. It's just that…" He shook his head. "What were you thinking, Adam?"

"I wasn't," He-Man answered as he glanced at him. Then, he turned his attention to the ground below again and continued, "Well, that's not true either. I knew what I was doing and I knew it was wrong. I even knew I would be punished, especially after I got caught the first time by you. I just didn't care at the time, I suppose."

"And, that's scary," whispered Duncan. "You're He-Man. It's not like you to disregard other people's feelings entirely like that. If I didn't know any better I would have thought Skeletor or Evil-Lyn were controlling you somehow."

He-Man couldn't control his response. He frowned and gritted his teeth a little. "Can I be honest?" He looked at Man-at-Arms and when the soldier nodded, he continued, "That kind of response is exactly the reason why I did what I did."

Duncan was clearly startled. He jumped a little and gaped at his friend. "What do you mean?"

"As both Prince Adam and He-Man, I'm expected to be selfless. Believe me, Duncan, I do care about the people of Eternia. I only want the best for everyone and I would bend over backwards for any of them if I knew I could help them in some way. I hope you still know that."

Duncan nodded.

"I just wanted the opportunity to be a little selfish for a change. I keep telling you that. I honestly don't think I can think of anymore ways to say it." He rubbed his face and said, "Since I've turned eighteen and received the Sword of Power, everyone expects me to be perfect. The Sorceress and you expect me to be a perfect, flawless hero, and my father expects me to be the ideal prince. Of course, I couldn't be both, so I focused on He-Man since he was more important to the people with Skeletor's presence. Regardless, I still tried to be perfect as Prince Adam in all areas when I could." He shook his head. "When the courtiers or visiting royalty came to Eternos, they went out on the town all the time. They even invited me to tag along and I never did, because I knew I would disappoint everyone who believes in me." He noticed Duncan looked a little startled. He knew the elder hadn't realized he had received such offers before. He explained himself. "Father had told He-Man once that he had been a little rowdy in his youth. I believed him, I suppose, but without much evidence, I didn't really think about it. When King Stefen showed up, I had an eyewitness to Father's behavior when he was around my age. I'll admit I became a little…resentful. Why do I have to be perfect when no one else has to be? Not even Father lived up to his own expectations that he has for me. So, when King Stefen asked me to accompany him, I accepted. When I met Ashlyn, I saw a girl who lived for the day and didn't have all the pressures that I have. She liked me, so I thought she saw something in me that wanted to burst free. I certainly agreed, so I…decided to be her friend."

"Just her friend?" Duncan asked.

He-Man rolled his eyes at himself. That was the big question. "Yes, we're just friends. Ashlyn wants to be more. In fact, she told me I have to tell her in a week or so if I want to pursue a relationship with her."

Duncan looked confused. "Why couldn't you tell her right away?"

He stared at Duncan for a moment and said, "You know what? I'm going to tell you." He took a deep breath, looked away, and stated rapidly, "Because I have a feelings for Teela. Yes, I like Ashlyn, but when pressed about who I want to spend my life with, Teela has always been the name that came readily to my lips." He shrugged. "Because of that, I didn't want to make a hasty decision. My initial response was to turn Ashlyn down, but Teela and I aren't seeing one another. I didn't even know how she felt about me at the time. I know she hates me now…" He shook his head and sighed. "Now, I've lost both of them, because Teela will never forgive me. So, I killed any slim chance I might have had. And, I won't be able to see Ashlyn for a very long time. I might never see her again, so pursing a relationship there is going to be pointless."

Duncan gaped at the prince for a moment and then cleared his throat. "I always suspected that you might have feelings for Teela."

"I'm sure that's a disappointment," He-Man mumbled.

"Not at all!" exclaimed Duncan in surprise. "He-Man…" He paused. "Adam, despite your recent actions, you are still the best young man I know. I would be very happy if you and Teela became a couple. It would be a relief actually."

He-Man was stunned, but then he shrugged and sighed again. He looked down at the ground once more. "It doesn't matter now. It's not going to happen."

"Who says?" Duncan asked. "Shouldn't Teela decide that?"

He-Man snapped his head to him. "Oh, no! I'm not going to make things worse by throwing my feelings in her face! She's so angry with me right now. She'll resent me for it."

"That might be true for now, but it won't always be that way." Duncan reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "I think she has feelings for you, Adam. I just don't know if she's recognized the fact yet, but I know my daughter. There are not many people she gets sentimental about and you're one of them…you especially."

"And, He-Man," he replied with a sad frown.

"Well, holding it against her for liking He-Man and not pursuing a relationship with her for that reason is insane!" he snapped.

He-Man was shocked. It sounded like Man-at-Arms was actually trying to convince him to pursue his daughter. He gaped at him.

"Whether you choose to admit it or not, ADAM, He-Man is you. She sees something in He-Man that she likes, and do you want to know what I think that is?"

He nodded his head.

"She sees the attributes of Adam that she likes. It's just that Adam has 'checked out,' so to speak. He-Man is the epitome of the things she loves about Adam, so of course, she would be attracted to him. The thing YOU need to realize and accept again is that HE-MAN IS YOU! Yes, she doesn't know your secret identity, but He-Man grabbed her attention because he showed her a side of himself that Adam no longer does, so if you want her, you have to show Teela that side of yourself again."

He-Man shook his head and sighed. What Duncan said made sense despite how unexpected and shocking it was to hear from her father. There was just one problem. "But, what about my secret? If I start acting more like He-Man, she might recognize that I am him!"

He shook his head a little. "I don't know about that. She just might see Adam straightening himself out and becoming the guy she used to know. I think you would start accepting yourself a little more and these excursions with King Stefen and Ashlyn wouldn't be needed. Of course, I'm not telling you to give up your friends, but I think you wouldn't feel the need to fill a void that's obviously missing in your life." He paused. "Adam, that void is YOU. You miss being you!" He looked a little surprised. "I don't know why I haven't recognized it before. It's so obvious. You're trying to be you again, but you subconsciously feel the need to do it in a way that still protects your secret. This 'new Adam' is brave and adventurous, but he uses those attributes in ways that the 'old Adam before He-Man' would have avoided. Also…"

Before he could say anything else, He-Man interrupted him by saying, "This is all very thought-provoking, Duncan, and honestly…I think you might be on to something." He certainly felt enlightened, so he definitely needed to think about it and take a good long look at his feelings when he got to the palace… "But, we're here in Ruxtown and the dragasaurus is burning the village. Can you drop me off…" He looked down as they flew over the city. He pointed to the creature's neck and shouted, "…right there!"

=)=)=)

King Randor sat in his conference room next to Marlena and rubbed his eyes warily. "Do you think this is a wise decision?" he asked his wife.

"What do you mean?" she asked, grabbing one of his hands and holding it tightly.

He studied her worried expression and wondered what caused the expression: worrying about Stefen's inevitable presence, worrying about his feelings now that he had spoken with Stefen, or worrying about Adam's actions and where he might be? He would ask her, but first he needed to get this first issue out of the way.

"Meeting with this Jesse," he answered. "My brother and I are not exactly on the best terms now." He noticed Marlena looked guilty now. "Do not blame yourself, my dear! Stefen has dug his own grave, so let him lie in it for a while. I am not banishing him—he's just going to spend time away from the palace until I've decided he's learned his lesson. Anyway, do you think it is wise to accept a bodyguard from Dyperia considering everything that has happened?"

Marlena sighed. "Randor, despite everything that's happened, I know your brother cares about Adam. I've watched them together. I think he thinks of him as a son, almost. They get along remarkably well, so if Stefen recommends Jesse, I do believe he will be able to do the task. It's just a matter of you trusting Jesse to be loyal to you more than Stefen."

Randor jumped a little. "You are quite right, my dear!" he exclaimed; "I didn't think of that aspect of things. If we do choose him, he will have to take an oath of allegiance to me. I know he has technically already taken one since I'm the High King, but he must be willing to become a citizen of Eternos and consent to my rules and expectations."

She nodded and replied, "If he agrees to those things without hesitation, then I think he might be an ideal candidate. I do believe we should watch them together the first week or so to make sure no problems are evident…but it could work. It's up to you, dear. I'll support any decision you make."

He grinned at her and said, "And, that is why you are an amazing wife." He leaned over and kissed her tenderly. "Even Stefen recognized that fact."

She groaned. "Please don't mention Stefen and the things _he_ recognizes about me, if you don't mind."

"Of course, my dear," he agreed. "I do apologize. It's just that I do agree with him on that aspect. I am a lucky man."

"Well, surely you knew that before he told you," she replied as she narrowed her eyes at him playfully."

"Yes, I do believe I have told you of that fact on numerous occasions over the years."

"So you have," she said with a sudden sparkle in her eyes.

He leaned over and kissed her again. Just as he wrapped his arms around her and began to deepen the kiss, a knock interrupted them. Stefen, and an individual who he assumed was Jesse, walked into the room without waiting for a reply. King Randor looked at him slightly annoyed by his actions, but he held his tongue. Yes, this was his palace and Stefen's actions could be considered rude, but he had to remind himself that this was also the place where Stefen had grown up. He wasn't accustomed to knocking here, so it was probably habit. " _Besides_ ," he thought with an evil grin, " _he should see how well Marlena and I still get along and that his actions didn't shake our love for one another at all_. _He surely got an eye-full._ "

=)=)=)


	28. The New Bodyguard

Against Nature Chapter 28

A knock reverberated throughout her room and she lifted her head from her pillow. Teela quickly slipped the toy tiger under her bed and walked to the door while she wiped a few stagnant tears from her cheeks. She opened the door and stared into the face of her lieutenant calmly, trying her best to look normal. "Yes?" she asked and was proud to note her voice didn't quiver.

"Pardon me for disturbing you, Captain, but I have new orders from King Randor that I must share with you since I cannot find your father."

"What is it?" she said suddenly becoming more alert. If King Randor gave an order and Micah couldn't handle it on his own, it was something big…and if recent events told her anything, it wouldn't be good.

"Prince Adam is missing. The king suspects that he just ran off again, but he's not entirely sure. He wanted Man-at-Arms and me to look for him, and he didn't want to raise the entire palace guard again. Of course, now that I know your father is missing, too…maybe they're together? Is that possible, Captain?"

She nodded and ignored her initial response to irritation. It wasn't Micah's fault that Adam kept disappearing recently, and she couldn't let anyone see how much this was upsetting her. She wondered if Micah even knew she was no longer the prince's bodyguard. Nonchalantly, she replied, "Yes, it is, but there is any easier way to find out than wondering and asking me." She brought her comlink to her mouth. "Man-at-Arms, do you read me?"

After a lengthy pause there was a response that sounded very muffled. "Yes, Teela, I hear you. Is there a problem?"

"Yes, Adam is missing and King Randor wanted you and Micah to go find him. Since you're not here, we were wondering if he might be with you?"

There was another lengthy pause and just when she was about to wonder if he had heard her at all, he answered, "Yes, Adam is with me. He's helping me and He-Man with a problem in Ruxtown."

"Ruxtown?" she questioned. "What's going on there?"

"I really don't have time to discuss it right now, Teela. I'll tell you when we get back."

Knowing the more she distracted her father, the more dangerous things could be for him if he was engaged in some kind of combat at that moment, so she didn't reply. She simply looked over at Micah and asked, "Do you know what's going on in Ruxtown?"

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am. A dragasaurus is destroying the town."

Her job dropped. She couldn't believe it! " _A dragasaurus_?" Teela questioned herself silently. " _Why in the world would Father take Adam with him on such a mission? Has he lost his mind_?" She came to the conclusion that either he had or her father had been speaking with Adam about his recent conduct away from the palace when the report came in. That would make sense. He wouldn't want to turn around and take Adam back to the palace, because time was of the essence in these kind of situations.

Looking back at Micah, she said, "Well, I guess now that we know where Adam is, you can go off duty now. I'll go tell the king where he is." She started to head towards the throne room after shutting her door, but Micah's next comment stopped her.

"The king is not in the throne room, Captain. He's in the conference room."

She turned back to him quizzically and said, "The king didn't have any appointments this afternoon. Why is he there?"

Micah shrugged and looked down at the floor. "He's interviewing a man from the Dyperian Guard to be Prince Adam's new bodyguard."

"What?" she exclaimed unbelievingly, but she didn't give him a chance to response. She turned in the opposite direction and became consumed by her thoughts.

The truth was she was hurt. She knew when the king stripped her of her duties as bodyguard that he would probably find a replacement, but she had no idea it would be so soon. She would have liked to believe it would be hard to fill her shoes. She even fancied the idea that the king would give her the role back when he realized he couldn't trust anyone else with his son. She knew she was being a little unrealistic when she thought that, but the hope had been there. Now that she knew he was already interviewing someone, it was only a matter of time before the position was filled…and it made the situation all too real. She had spent the afternoon in her bedroom crying over the loss of that job, as well as the relationship that Adam and she had once had. She wanted everything to go back to the way that it used to be, but she had a feeling that might never happen.

=)=)=)

Just as He-Man had planned, he jumped onto the back of the dragasaurus' neck and steered it clear of the town. Yes, it angered the creature, but it also scared the animal enough that it ran away as soon as he let it go. He stood still as he watched it run away as quickly as it could. He was tempted to follow it, not to do anything but to simply hide from the world.

He heard the Windraider lowering behind him and sighed. He turned around, looked at Man-at-Arms, and made sure no one else was around before he turned back into Adam. Once he did, he got into the craft and resumed his earlier actions, staring at the ground far below them as they rode back to the palace. But this time unlike the ride to Ruxtown, his thoughts weren't quite so depressing. He decided to think about Duncan's earlier words. The elder had given him a lot to think about.

Was it truly possible that Teela might have feelings for him? Could she forgive him like Man-at-Arms said she would? Was it possible that his actions of late was because he missed the part of himself that he had given to He-Man? Something deep inside himself told him the answer was yes to all three questions, but despite knowing those answers, he didn't know what to do about it. Even though Teela may forgive him one day, it was a little too raw to expect it right now, and since she was probably still mad at him, now was not a good time to bring up his feelings. And, as for his actions, well, it was a little too late to do anything about that. What was done was done and not even He-Man could change that. But he supposed he could affect the future. Maybe he would take Duncan's advice and take a part of himself back from He-Man to show his family and friends who he truly was. He wanted to, but he was a little apprehensive about what might happen as a result, as well. What if someone discovered that he was He-Man? Regardless of the answer, he knew he had to do something. Things couldn't stay as they were, because now that he had finally admitted to himself how miserable he had been, he was no longer able to push those feelings away. He had to acknowledge them. And, now, he realized he had to do something about it.

He looked at Duncan, gave him a genuine smile, and said, "Thank you for not giving up on me, Duncan, and thank you for your advice. I think you're right that I need to find myself again and be me."

Duncan looked over at the prince and gave him a look of intense relief. "No thanks is necessary, Adam. I told you you're like a son to me, so I will never give up on you. I know who you truly are and that is a man I will always have confidence in."

Adam's grin widened as he blinked away a few tears. He felt a little better about things now. Things weren't back to normal, but he was glad Duncan and he seemed to have mended their strained relationship. He hoped he could do so with Teela very soon.

=)=)=)

King Randor extended a hand to Jesse and said, "It's very nice to meet you, young man. My brother has praised you quite a bit when he suggested you for this job." The two men shook hands and the king gestured for everyone to take a seat. Queen Marlena and he were on one side of the conference table and King Stefen and Jesse sat on the other.

"It is an honor that you would consider me for this position," replied Jesse as soon as everyone had stopped moving.

Randor nodded, pleased at the man's respectfulness and etiquette. Before he could say anything, Queen Marlena jumped into the conversation. "Yes, we have heard good things about you from King Stefen, but we would like to get to know you a little better before we make a decision. After all, you will be the one in charge of protecting the future High King of Eternia. It's a big job and we can't afford to make any mistakes…not that you would be one."

Jesse smiled at the queen and said, "I understand completely, Your Majesty. Please, ask any question you wish and I will gladly answer. Also, if you decide to hire me to fill this position, we can start off on a trial basis. If I do not meet your expectations, I will go back to Dyperia without any hard feelings."

Marlena and Randor looked at one another and gave each other subtle nods. They had wanted to do that anyway. "Yes, we will take you up on that offer if we decide to hire you," the king replied. "So, why don't you simply tell us about yourself in general."

Jesse shrugged and mumbled, "There really isn't much to tell." When the king lifted his brow questioningly, he raised his voice a little and spoke confidently once more. "I've lived in Dyperia for most of my life. My father was part of guard, but he died in battle with Skeletor when I was a small child. I barely remember him, but because of that, I knew I always wanted to be part of the Guard. My mother raised me to the best of her abilities. I won't lie: it was hard on her, but things got better once I was old enough to help provide for the family." He smiled at Randor and said, "Most of my earnings go to my mother to help her keep things going at home, even though I live in the castle. King Stefen has taken good care of me there, but being Prince Adam's bodyguard is such a great opportunity that I'll do whatever it takes to get the position."

Randor smiled at the young man and replied, "Your needs will be taken care of here, as well, if you get the job. You will live in the palace and dine with us. All of your necessities will be provided and you may still send your earnings to your mother. That will not change."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Marlena leaned forward a little and Jesse turned his attention to her. "How do you get along with others around your age?" she asked.

He pressed his lips together for a second and rubbed his eyebrow. "Okay, I suppose. Most men that I know are part of the Guard, so we all get along. I get along with Prince Dal really well, as well. I've never been in any fights or caused any mischief if that's what you mean."

King Randor interrupted him. "So, you believe you would be able to help Adam avoid those untoward situations."

"Yes, Your Majesty, and if there are some impossible to avoid, I will protect him with my life. I promise you that."

The king nodded and looked at his wife for a moment. He couldn't read her expression, but he liked Jesse, so he stated, "Okay, Jesse, I think I've made my decision…"

Before he could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. Everyone turned to look at it as the queen asked the person to come in.

=)=)=)

Teela stepped inside the conference room and her eyes immediately locked on to the man beside King Stefen. Subconsciously, she straightened her shoulders as she sized him up. " _So, this is the guy who might take my place. He doesn't look like much of a warrior. In fact, he looks like he could be a randy courtier who is always out to have fun…if it wasn't for his uniform._ " Realizing that she was probably staring at the man for far too long, she turned her attention to the king.

"Forgive me for interrupting, Your Majesties, but I wanted to give you the news on Prince Adam's whereabouts," she informed them.

"Yes, Captain," replied the king. "I wasn't aware that you knew of the situation since you're off duty."

"Micah came to me since he couldn't find my fa…" she stopped as both Dyperians raised their eyebrows in what she determined to be looks of amusement. She cleared her throat. "Excuse me, since he couldn't find Man-at-Arms. It turns out that Ad…Prince Adam is with Man-at-Arms. They're on a mission in Ruxtown: a dragasaurus is destroying the town and the prince is helping him and He-Man."

The king and queen glanced at each other for a moment before the king turned back to her and asked, "Why on Eternia would Man-at-Arms take Adam along for that?"

She shrugged and said, "He said he would explain when he got back. If I had to take a guess, I would say my father was talking to him about…" She glanced at the room's other occupants and lowered her eyes. "…recent events, and I think the report must have come in at that time, so he simply took Ad...Prince Adam with him."

The king nodded. "That makes sense."

The room then fell into a tense silence. Teela was about to turn around and leave even though she hadn't been dismissed, but she stopped abruptly when the king called out to her.

"Teela, since you're here, I might as well introduce you to your successor: Teela, this is Jesse. He is going to be Prince Adam's bodyguard."

Jesse immediately hopped up and exclaimed, "Really, Your Majesty! Thank you so much!" He clinched his teeth together and winced a little. "I'm sorry," he then said a little more calmly. "I'm very happy you're willing to give me this chance."

The king laughed a little and said, "It's okay to be excited. I don't mind a bit. I'm glad that you're looking forward to the assignment."

Teela wasn't sure, but she thought the king might have sent a reproachful look her way. She had never hated being Adam's bodyguard… Of course, she might have acted annoyed with Adam sometimes, but that didn't mean she had hated the job! She had actually enjoyed it!

Narrowing her eyes, she replied, "Oh, well, it's nice to meet you, Jesse." She extended her hand to him and they shook hands. "If you have any questions or need any help, I'll be glad to be of assistance."

Jesse smiled and it widened when he glanced at King Stefen for a moment. When their eyes met again, he stated, "Thank you for the offer, but I think I won't be needing it. I'm sure Prince Adam and I will get along just fine." He turned to the king. "I haven't met an individual who I can't get along with, and I've heard Prince Adam is a very friendly fellow."

The king nodded with a smile and Teela had enough of this nonsense and "butt-kissery." She abruptly turned around and left the room. When she shut the door, once again she found herself fighting tears, but at least this time they didn't fall. Taking a deep breath, she tried to find a bright side.

" _Well, at least the new bodyguard isn't a woman_."


	29. Meeting Jesse

Against Nature Chapter 29

Prince Adam had just arrived back to Eternos with Man-at-Arms, and almost immediately he had been summoned to the throne room. His parents wished to speak with him. Thinking he was in trouble for leaving his room, he had shot Man-at-Arms a pleading look and the elder nodded.

"I'll go with you, Adam. I'll explain that I'm the one who asked you to come along," he had stated.

So now, they stood before the throne room doors and Adam tried to look like his normal self. He didn't know why he was so nervous. He had done worse things recently and survived his parents' lectures and punishments. Of course, the last time he had been to the throne room after disobeying, Teela had lost her job as his bodyguard. It was one of the worst moments in his life, and he didn't want to live through another.

Despite his fears, he pushed the doors open and walked inside with Duncan following closely behind. "You wished to see me, Father?" he questioned calmly.

King Randor nodded and said merrily, "Yes, I wanted to introduce you to someone."

At first, he was surprised his father didn't seem to be annoyed, so it took him a second to realize what his father had actually said. It was then that he noticed that they weren't alone. Off to the right stood King Stefen and another young man around his age. The man stepped forward and King Randor announced, "This is my son, Prince Adam, Jesse. Adam, this is Jesse, your new bodyguard."

Adam tried his best to hold back his reaction. Inside, he was cringing. He hadn't expected his father to find a replacement so soon. His thoughts immediately drifted to Teela. He wondered if she knew, yet, and if she did, how was it affecting her.

Realizing that he couldn't be rude, he turned to Jesse and extended his hand as he walked to him. "Hello, it's nice to meet you," he greeted.

"Likewise," Jesse replied.

Both men turned back to the king as he stated, "That's really all I wanted. I know you were with Man-at-Arms earlier, helping with an issue in the kingdom. I assume all is well now."

When both Duncan and Adam nodded, the king smiled and replied, "Good. Well, you two can run along and get acquainted with one another."

Adam raised his brow. "You mean, I'm not confined to my room any longer?" he asked.

His father nodded. "We found you a bodyguard, one that I believe will be able to keep up with you, so we'll see how this works."

Adam couldn't help but react to his father's words. He felt as though he should defend Teela. "My old bodyguard kept up with me just fine," he stated obstinately.

"Adam," Randor said reproachfully. His voice held a warning in it.

The prince sighed and turned to Jesse to say, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. I just…"

Jesse fanned his hand out as if it were no big deal. "Don't apologize. I understand. Teela has been your bodyguard for a long time. You're used to her and that's where your loyalties lie. I don't blame you for that, but perhaps we could be friends. Maybe you'll find that you won't mind having me around so much either."

Knowing that he didn't have much choice in the matter, he nodded. He did wonder, though, if Jesse would continue to be his "friend" after he ditched him to become He-Man for the first time. And, that's when it hit him: he had made things a lot harder for himself than he had realized. His secret was going to be difficult to protect now, more so than before.

=)=)=)

King Stefen, Jesse, and Adam walked into the courtyard together. All three were quiet up until that point. Adam was quiet because he didn't know what to say. He suspected the same might be said for Jesse. As for King Stefen, who knew? He was usually quite the chatterbox.

When they got to a picnic table, Adam sat down and Jesse sat across from him. King Stefen stood at the head of the table and said, "I suppose I'll leave you two to get acquainted. I have to set up my new living quarters."

Adam raised his brow. "New living quarters? My parents moved you out of the Royal Wing?"

Stefen shrugged. "No, they moved me out of the palace all together."

"What? Why?" he cried, standing up. "Please don't tell me that they also blame you for my behavior. I'll go to them and try to talk them out of it, Uncle. I'm so sorry."

Before he could walk off, Stefen said, "Adam." When the prince continued to walk away, he called his name again. When Adam finally turned around, he said, "It didn't really have anything to do with you, not really."

"Then, why? You haven't done anything…"

The king shook his head. "I have done something, Adam, and I know this probably makes me a coward, but I don't want to confess it to you. I enjoy our relationship and I don't want you to look at me any differently."

Adam furrowed his brow. "People are allowed to make mistakes. It would be foolish to hold that against someone."

"If you knew, you might have a different opinion."

"Try me," the prince demanded confidently.

Stefen shook his head. "No, I don't think so, Adam. I just hope that you forgive me for not telling you. In any case, I'll still be around. I may visit the palace anytime I wish. I just have to announce my presence to your father right away."

Adam opened his mouth to speak again, but Stefen held his hand up and cried, "Adam, please! Just drop it, okay?"

He nodded reluctantly. "Okay, I suppose," he mumbled. "I'm just going to miss you being so close. It's been nice having you around to talk to."

Stefen smiled. "I've enjoyed that, as well. Perhaps it is time to settle things with your man-at-arms. And, of course, Jesse is a great confidant, I promise you that, Adam. And, besides, like I said, I'll be around." The king walked away, but not before he gave Jesse a wink and Adam a wave. Adam witnessed this and looked confused when Jesse simply grinned in response.

Once Stefen had walked back inside the palace presumably to get his things or to find someone to take him to his new residence, Adam faced Jesse and scrutinized him for a moment. He knew he was blatantly staring, but fortunately, Jesse was looking down at the table. After what seemed like several minutes, Jesse finally looked up and asked, "Do I pass inspection, Your Highness?"

"What?" he asked.

Jesse laughed. "You were staring, so I gave you as much time as you needed. I figured you were trying to figure out if I have what it takes to be your bodyguard. I assure you that I do."

Adam sighed and replied, "I wasn't thinking that at all. The truth is I don't need a bodyguard. I can take care of myself. Father just has this notion that I can't fight. I suppose I haven't really done anything to show him any differently, but I'm telling you now that you don't have to watch me like a hawk or worry that you'll have to fight for me constantly. You're probably going to get rather bored with this assignment." At least that's what Adam was hoping for.

"I doubt that seriously," Jesse laughed. When Adam raised an eyebrow inquiringly, he admitted, "King Stefen told me about your recent adventures and that there was a girl somewhere in the city that you might like to see from time to time."

Adam widened his eyes a little. "Those…adventures don't usually happen. I suppose I was rebelling to a certain extent. They won't be happening again."

Jesse smirked a little and whispered, "Well, if you change your mind, I'm willing to go along with you. And, I won't rat you out like your last bodyguard. That was a pretty shitty thing to do."

Adam gaped at the man. "S-She was just doing her job," he stammered.

"No, her job is to PROTECT YOU. In my opinion, that doesn't mean just physically. It means she should have protected your secrets, as well. If she had gone by that code, I'm sure you wouldn't have run off from her in the first place."

He didn't know how to respond to that. He supposed in a way Jesse was right. If Teela hadn't yelled at him and told him that he couldn't talk to Ashlyn, it would have never happened. But he wasn't going to blame Teela. She was doing her job. "She's very by the book," he said aloud; "No one can fault her for that."

Jesse shrugged. "I can." He met the prince's gaze and whispered, "Look, Prince Adam, we're both grown men here. We've both lived in palaces run by monarchs. We both know how stale and dry it can be within those walls, especially when everyone is watching your every move and expecting you to be perfect. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to take a break from it every once in a while!"

Adam tapped his fingers on the table before him nervously. "You do realize you'd be risking your position as my bodyguard. If the king and queen found out…"

"They won't," Jesse stated confidently. "Besides, we won't be going to Madelia and the only other thing you did wrong was run off from your bodyguard. If we're together, going out into Eternos isn't going to be a problem. When the king asks where you were, I will know. It's as simple as that. And, of course, I'll make the decision whether to be truthful or not when the king asks, but rest assured, Prince Adam, it will always go in your favor."

Adam honestly didn't know how to feel about Jesse. Part of him wanted to sigh in relief, but the other part that had learned his lessons recently was shocked that Jesse could actually be this lax. It seemed like his parents had bought him a rebellious friend rather than a bodyguard. " _Jesse did say he wanted to be my friend. I suppose he really meant that._ " Shrugging, he said, "Well, I suppose since you're here, we might as well go do something." He stood and Jesse quickly followed suit.

"Where to?" he questioned, excitedly.

Adam looked around. If he was with Teela, they might have gone into the Evergreen Forest to have a picnic. Or, she might have dragged him off to have another combat lesson. The thought made him pause. Who would be giving him those now? Jesse or Teela? He was really confused on what to expect now. Had the combat lessons come from the Captain of the Guard or his bodyguard? He was sure his father never made that distinction either since they were the same person. He hoped he could work it out where Teela would still give him his lessons. That way, he'd be able to speak to her again and hopefully find a way to make her forgive him.

Jesse interrupted his thoughts. "Why don't you introduce me to that girl of yours?"

"What?" he asked, unthinkingly. "Oh, I thought you would have already met Teela."

Jesse lifted a brow and then laughed. "I was referring to your commoner, but I'm intrigued. Do you have a thing for Teela, as well?"

Adam stuttered a lot at that point. He didn't even know what he was trying to stay.

Jesse laughed again loudly. He then gestured for Adam to follow him, but unfortunately for him, because he was laughing so intensely, he hit the side of the picnic table with his foot and it sent him flying forward into some bushes. "OH, FOR THE LOVE OF THE ANCIENTS!" he exclaimed.

He tried to hold it in—he really did, but soon Adam found himself laughing just as loudly as Jesse had been laughing at him.

Jesse looked rather annoyed for a moment, but then he joined in on the laughter. "Come on, Prince Adam," he said with a smile as they both caught their breaths. "Introduce me to your commoner. After all, I need to know who my charge associates with."

Adam looked back at the palace, debating with himself. Would this be an inappropriate act? He suddenly realized it would be. His father had forbidden him from seeing Ashlyn again. That's what Teela had been screaming at him about, after all. "I'm afraid I can't," he replied. "Father doesn't want me seeing her right now."

Jesse rolled his eyes and said, "He won't find out, Adam, I promise!" He grabbed his shoulder and shook it a little. He laughed and said, "Come on. You're not going to let me get lost in Eternos, asking everyone to take me to the prince's girlfriend, are you?"

He gasped, not sure if Jesse meant his words or not. He wasn't able to read him, yet, like he could Teela. He hated the thought of already having to use his rank as prince to order his bodyguard not to do something. He quickly ran over to Jesse, though, prepared to do exactly that, when the man laughed merrily. "I knew that would make you follow," he announced happily with a smile.

Adam couldn't help but smile, too. Part of it was from relief; the other was from amusement.

=)=)=)

Teela stood at a railing on a tower high above the courtyard. She had watched Adam and Jesse interact far below her, and she couldn't help but grimace when she had heard their laughter.

" _That used to be me down there with him,_ " she thought sadly. Her own stupidity had caused their separation. At first she had wanted to blame Adam, but she knew the truth. For a long time now, she had taken liberties that she really shouldn't have: she should have never gotten into the habit of yelling at him; she shouldn't have acted annoyed with him all the time; and she should have actually shown everyone that she loved being his bodyguard. More importantly, she should have shown Adam that she liked being his friend, that it wasn't just the job. She hoped he knew that, but now, she wasn't sure.

Watching Adam and Jesse leave out of the side palace gate into the city, she wondered where they were going. Were they going shopping? Were they going to the forest just to relax? Probably not the latter, because Adam would have found Cringer if they were going to go do that.

In the end, it didn't really matter. All she knew was that it hurt not knowing. It should have been her going with him right now. It should have been her that he had laughed with.

Not knowing how else to feel or what else to say, she said into the wind, "I miss you, Adam, already."


	30. Changes are Coming

Against Nature Chapter 30

King Stefen stood in what used to be his bedchambers in the Royal Palace. Now, it was an empty room again aside from the bare essentials. Randor had his guards help him move his belongings to a suite on the other side of Eternos.

" _He wanted me as far away as possible without banishing me from the city_ ," he thought to himself. Of course, Stefen couldn't blame his brother. He knew if Randor had kissed Liana he would have had a similar reaction and Liana and he didn't have as good of a relationship as Randor did with Marlena. No, he couldn't blame his brother at all. Regardless, he was a little sad. He had left Dyperia hoping to find his home in Eternos once again and he had let his impetuosity get the best of him.

Luckily, not everything was a loss: he did establish a good relationship with his nephew, one that he knew he would continue to enjoy no matter where he resided, and he did get to kiss and hold a beautiful and amazing woman temporarily. He laughed to himself. Even Randor couldn't take that memory away, even though he knew his brother probably wanted to.

After giving the room a onceover one last time, he stepped out into the hall, closed the door, and sighed when he realized the hallway was empty. Despite Randor and he getting along while hiring Jesse as Adam's bodyguard, his brother was nowhere to be found.

=)=)=)

The sky darkened as nightfall approached. King Randor had never been so happy to see a day end in his entire life. The whole day had been an emotional rollercoaster for him and his family. Not only had he managed to strip Captain Teela of her duties as Adam's bodyguard, he had hired a new one AND he had discovered that Stefen had kissed his wife and tried to prevent her from telling him. It was a day he wished he could forget.

He stood outside his bedchambers on the balcony and watched the activities far below. He saw several of his guard carrying what was undoubtedly bags from his brother's room. Then, he saw Stefen walking slowly towards the side gate to leave the palace grounds for the evening.

Part of him felt guilty for dismissing Stefen as he had done, but his brother hadn't left him with much choice in the matter. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn Stefen had purposely done his best to corrupt Adam: the man took his son to an illegal bar, encouraged an untoward relationship with a girl who was clearly unworthy, and introduced him to alcohol and perhaps even drugs. And, then, there was Marlena…

He knew his brother was going through a rough time. That's why he had been lenient when he had discovered what his brother had been up to with Adam, but when he found out about him kissing Marlena, that had been the final straw. He wanted to believe wholeheartedly that Stefen hadn't known what he was doing when he had kissed her. He wanted to believe that there were no feelings involved in the incident…but he wasn't sure. He had listened to Stefen talk about Marlena. He had heard and even seen the interest he had in her, even when he was admitting to his crime. Yes, his brother claimed it had been a horrible mistake, that he had gotten caught up in the moment, but it felt like something more to him.

" _After all, how can anyone not love her_?" questioned Randor to himself. That was unfathomable to him. The very first day he had met Marlena, she had moved him like no one else ever had. Just her smile had made his heart flutter and his stomach clench controllably. If Stefen did have feelings for his wife, he could understand why. She was an amazing woman. Unfortunately for the King of Dyperia, Randor wasn't going to let her go, ever…no matter what.

As he sighed again, he felt two arms slip around his waist.

"What are you doing out here, my love?"

He smiled and glanced over to peer into his wife's eyes as she rested her chin on his shoulder. "Just thinking, my dear."

Queen Marlena looked over the railing and saw King Stefen in the distance, going farther into the city. She turned her face into his neck and kissed it softly. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Why?" he asked, slightly surprised. "What reason do you have to feel sorry?"

She pulled away and walked in front of him. She leaned her back against the railing and gazed into his eyes. "I know everything with Stefen has to be upsetting you. I know you didn't really want to send him away, but you felt obligated to…"

Randor raised an astonished eyebrow and lifted a hand to her chin to get her to look at him. "No, I wanted very much to send him away. I do feel slightly…disappointed, but that has nothing to do with you. It was my choice. I'm not comfortable with him here after everything he has done to you and Adam."

"But he is your brother. You've known and cared for him longer than you have me…or even Adam, really."

"So, what's your point?" he asked as he wrinkled his face with worry. "Marlena, you are my wife. Adam is my son. The love I have for Stefen doesn't even compare to the love I have for you. You are my life and I will do anything that I can to ensure that you and Adam are safe and happy." He looked over her shoulder in the direction Stefen had gone. "Stefen is the one who has caused this, so I don't want you feeling guilty or worrying that you've hurt me. He is the one who did that."

She leaned forward and slipped her arms around her husband. Randor held her tightly as she murmured against his chest, "I just know how important family is to you and I don't want to be the reason why you and Stefen are at odds. Stefen and you were so close when you were children. I would hate to see you two lose your relationship forever."

He tilted his head down and kissed her on the forehead again. "Stefen and I will work on our relationship, my dear. It may take a little time for me to trust him around you and Adam again, but I'll give it my best effort. Family is important to me, but Marlena…" He pulled back so he could stare into her eyes. "…I want you to know right now that the family I care most about is you, Adam, and Adora. Everyone else and even the kingdom fall second."

Tears pooled to her eyes and she nodded a few times to show that she understood. Randor brought his hands up to her face to cup her cheeks and then leaned forward and kissed her softly.

=)=)=)

Adam knew they should be getting home soon. Jesse had convinced him to leave the palace earlier and the bodyguard had seemed to be on a mission to meet Ashlyn, but fortunately, Adam had managed to keep him walking throughout the city and away from her side of town. Surprisingly, he found himself unwilling to face Ashlyn right now.

He didn't want to run into her.

He knew it was horrible for him to feel that way, but he couldn't help it. So many horrible things had happened that day and he knew she would only make him remember all the foolish mistakes he had made. That wasn't to say that he would ignore her forever. That wouldn't be right and it certainly wouldn't be noble, but it was how he had to handle things for right now.

Truthfully, he wanted to get things back on track with Teela before he ventured to approach Ashlyn again. He wouldn't lie to himself. He knew why: he wanted to see how Teela really felt about him. He wanted to see if he could first salvage their relationship and then gather some insight into whether they could possibly be something more. He had a feeling if he chose to court Ashlyn now, Teela wouldn't be too happy about it. Her actions of late told him that she didn't like her. Part of him hoped it was jealousy. It would mean that she did feel strongly about him…

"So, what do you have planned for tomorrow?" asked Jesse, interrupting his thoughts.

He shrugged and said, "I don't know. I do have a few meetings that I must attend for Father, and I have been putting off some of my other duties recently. I suppose I'll take care of those."

The guard nodded and as they walked onto the palace grounds he replied, "Well, tell me your schedule. What time do you get up? I want to meet you right away, so we can get started."

Before Adam could reply, he heard a voice that he thought he wouldn't have the pleasure of hearing for some time to come.

"Adam usually gets up around 7:00, but the both of you are supposed to go to the dining room to eat breakfast before you get started. Otherwise, King Randor will inquire where you are."

"Teela," Adam said as she approached them from a picnic table off to their right.

She smiled at him softly before glancing over at Jesse. "He's on palace grounds and he's with me, so you can go off duty a little earlier than usual."

When Jesse raised his brow, she narrowed her eyes and asked almost petulantly, "Is there a problem?"

Before he could reply, Adam interjected, "No, there isn't a problem, Teela." He turned to Jesse and said, "It was nice meeting you today. I'll see you in the dining room in the morning."

Knowing there was nothing else he could say, Jesse nodded slowly and then eyed Teela carefully before he walked away

When he disappeared inside, Adam and Teela turned to one another and stared into each other's eyes. Adam felt his heart speed up erratically. He could tell she had something to say, something that she felt was important. He hoped fervidly that it was something good and that she wasn't about to end their friendship for good.


	31. A Little Hope

Against Nature Chapter 31

The longer they stared at each other, the more nervous he became. He lifted a hand to the back of his neck to rub away the pain that had suddenly settled there. His body was wrought with tension and until Teela said whatever she had to say, he knew his muscles and his mind would continue to tighten and prepare for the worst.

"So…how are you?" she asked softly.

That wasn't how he thought she would have started this conversation at all. The question was asked almost as if they hadn't seen each other in a long time. Then, he realized that they hadn't. Over the last few days, they really hadn't spent much time together. He had been gallivanting—for the lack of a better word—with Stefen and Ashlyn…and avoiding Teela.

Swallowing the guilt that suddenly lodged itself in his throat roughly, he brought his hand down and looked at the ground. "Fine," he mumbled, sliding his foot along the concrete below them to kick at some leaves that had fallen out of the trees behind them. "How are you?"

She smiled politely and answered, "I'm…better."

He nodded and whispered, "That's…good."

A silence soon developed and he didn't know how to make it end. Should he apologize for his actions over the last few days? Should he express his sorrow for her losing her position as his bodyguard? Should he pretend that none of it happened and try to resume their friendship as normal? He didn't know what she wanted, so all he could do was look around and stare at anything but her.

Of course, she didn't allow that for long. Out of nowhere, the auburn-haired warrior killed the uncomfortable stillness that had overwhelmed them bravely. "This is ridiculous!" she cried.

He flinched. He didn't know what subject she was about to address, because he had done a number of things recently that could be labeled as such. He remained quiet as she flung her hands out before settling them on her hips and continuing, "We're acting like we're strangers or that we haven't seen each other in ten years! Why is that?"

" _Is she really asking me that_?" he asked himself silently. Oh, he could venture to guess, but he didn't want to start spouting out the possibilities if it had been a rhetorical question. He continued his awkward silence until she widened her eyes and shrugged her shoulders and neck at him.

She really did want to know!

Feeling more than a little surprised, he exclaimed, "Oh!" He then gathered his thoughts quickly and shared them. "I suppose we don't want to say the wrong thing."

He sighed gratefully when she nodded her head at him. Her actions showed that she was concerned about where things would end up between the two of them.

Gaining courage from her response, he elaborated. "I think we want to be cautious with our words and actions, so things don't get worse between us…at least, that's my reasoning."

She whispered so softly that she was barely audible. "It's mine, too."

He glanced up at the two moons that were appearing slowly in the afternoon twilight and remarked, "Too many things have gone so horribly wrong today."

He sensed more than saw Teela walk to his side. He knew she was looking up at the moons, as well. He knew why it was now of such interest. Neither wanted to look into the eyes of the other in fear of what they might see: hurt, anger, contempt…the list could go on.

Closing his eyes, he said timorously, "I'm sorry, Teela. I know I already said that earlier in the throne room, but I want you to know that I mean that. I never meant for any of this to happen."

"I know," she replied as she reached over without looking at him and took his hand gently in hers. "I'm sorry, too. I know I have some ownership in what happened today." Taking a deep breath, she finally turned her head to look at him.

He felt her stare, so he did the same.

When their eyes met, she explained, "I know I've been rather...cruel to you at times in the past. I've joked about you. I've spoken ill of you, and I even reprimanded you. You always took it in stride, so I kept doing it." She then huffed a little in what appeared to be shame. "Today, I embarrassed you in front of one of your subjects. I know I am guilty of overstepping my boundaries long before today, but…today was the worst that I've ever treated you. I'm so sorry, Adam."

"It's okay," he mumbled softly.

"No. No, it isn't. And, what's worse is that I know I've lost you."

Squeezing her hand tightly, he stepped in front of her and stated firmly, "You haven't lost me, Teela, not even close."

"But I have," she countered. "For twenty years, we've been together. I've been your playmate, your best friend, and your bodyguard. We've done everything together, but things won't be that way now. I made some serious errors in judgment, Adam, and now my actions have caused us to be separated. I will no longer be accompanying you on missions. I'll no longer be able to just hang out with you in the Evergreen Forest or Eternos at the slightest whim. I'll be ordered to do something else while you do all these things that we used to do together with Jesse…and Ashlyn."

Adam took her other hand in his and whispered, "It wasn't just your actions that caused this. Most of this is my fault, but believe me, Teela, we'll fix this. We will spend time together. I'll make time, and you can come with me when I'm going somewhere. We're still friends. You just won't be responsible for protecting me, that's all."

She pressed her lips together and he knew she didn't believe a word of what he was saying. "I'm sorry," he whispered again as he dropped her hands and pulled her into his arms to give her a massive hug. "I'm so, so sorry, Teela." He then pulled back slightly and stared into her eyes. It was almost like she had mesmerized him, because he had no idea what he was doing until after he had done it. He leaned over and kissed her softly.

=)=)=)

Ashlyn stood near the side gate of the Eternian palace. She had heard from several of her friends that Adam had been out in Eternos with one of his guy friends late this afternoon, and she was curious as to whether he had returned to the palace or not. If she didn't catch sight of him, she had plans to look for him out on the streets. It was about time that they had another night on the town.

So, creeping up very slowly to the side gate, which led into the palace courtyard, she looked around to make sure no guard was coming. When she saw that the coast was clear, she huddled against the entrance, opened it slightly, and stretched her neck in as far as it could go so she could scan the grounds with her eyes. She started at the picnic tables where she had once sat with Adam several days ago and then moved to the right.

When she finally turned her head completely in that direction, she was met with a sight that made her heart stop.

Adam.

Her Adam.

He was leaning towards that…that hussy Teela! Her mouth dropped open as she watched them kiss.

"No," she whispered to herself as she subconsciously stepped farther inside the courtyard. She had been so sure that Teela didn't like him! The captain had treated him so awfully, after all! How could they be kissing now? And, she couldn't help but ask herself now that they were…

What was she going to do about it?


	32. Anything for Love

Against Nature Chapter 32

The pain she felt was more than metaphysical—a huge weight had settled itself on her chest and was sending piercing shots throughout her body. As a result, she could hardly breathe and blood was rushing to her face. She couldn't believe that this was happening!

Her eyes never left Adam when he lifted a hand to cup Teela's cheek as they continued to give each other a series of sweet and tender kisses. They didn't pull back from each other at all; they simply continued their actions as though it were the same as breathing.

Adam had never kissed her like that. The few kisses they had shared had been raw and passionate. The heat that they felt at those times were enough to scorch them and sweep them away in a wave of fiery lust. If he had been less of a proper gentleman, she knew they would have gone a lot further than they had.

Yes, Adam and she certainly lusted after one another. She was sure of that. He was interested—she hadn't imagined that. And, yet, watching him now, she was jealous. She realized with absolute certainty that she wanted his tenderness. She wanted him to kiss her softly under the moonlight after a particularly rough day. She wanted him to become the very air she breathed as he was doing now with Teela.

She continued to watch as Adam slipped his other hand around Teela's waist and pulled her to him. When Teela showed her interest and acceptance of the situation by putting her arms around him, Adam pulled back to stare into her eyes momentarily before plunging back in to kiss her with an intensity that she knew she had never achieved with him. _He_ was kissing Teela.

Ashlyn had always been the one to kiss him.

That realization almost made her turn around. She had her dignity and she wouldn't grovel to be loved, but when she took a step in that direction, her chest pains became even more unbearable. She couldn't walk away. Adam was a man worth fighting for. She knew she would never meet another like him, and it had nothing to do with the facts that he was the Prince of Eternia and He-Man. No, instead it was simply the kind of man that he was that made him so unique. He was a fighter and yet so filled with love and gentleness. He was a member of the aristocracy and yet that fact was not discernable when looking at his generous heart. He was everything she wanted in a man and she couldn't walk away from this. Adam liked her, too, and she knew she would regret it for the rest of her life if she didn't at least try to win his affections.

She stepped forward and frowned at the couple as they deepened their kiss so deeply that they were breathing loudly through their noses. She cleared her throat several times without getting their attention, but when she finally called his name out, he snapped his head towards her.

"Ashlyn," he whispered in complete shock, "what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," she whispered in dismay when noticing he had not let Teela go. He was still holding her close and not retreating as though he had been caught doing something wrong. She had wanted him to feel guilty. She had wanted him to back away from Teela and show remorse. It would have shown Teela that he had feelings for her, too, but he didn't.

Instead, it was Teela who pulled away. The soldier stared at her with as much disdain as Ashlyn had for her.

She gritted her teeth for a moment and then looked back at Adam. Now, she was seeing the worry in his eyes as he stared at both women. "I heard you were out in the city this afternoon," she said softly, breaking the awkward silence that had developed. She was going to pretend that Teela wasn't even there. "I stopped by to see if you were perhaps going to be out late. I thought maybe you and I could…spend that time together."

She watched as Adam glanced at Teela quickly. He cleared his throat and replied, "That's a nice offer, but…" He couldn't get any more out, because Teela interrupted him.

"Are you crazy?" she snapped. "You know as well as I do that King Randor does not want his son traipsing through the city late at night with _you_ of all people!"

"Teela!" Adam cried, trying to get her to calm down. Ashlyn could see that he was worried this would turn into some kind of altercation. Unfortunately for him, he was right.

She glared back at Teela and said, "And, you think King Randor would approve of the scene I just came across? If you think so, then perhaps you should march into that palace and tell him that you kissed his son. I guarantee if you do, you and I will find ourselves on the same playing field."

Teela then folded her arms across her chest as Adam pleaded with them.

"Ladies, please!"

Ignoring the panic that they both heard in his voice, Teela stared at Ashlyn irately and spat, "Who do you think you are? You don't know King Randor any more than you know Adam! You don't know Adam at all, and the only reason you're sniffing around him is that he's the prince!"

"Teela!" Adam exclaimed, pulling on her. "Let's just go inside. I'll talk to Ashlyn briefly and then…"

This time Ashlyn cut off his words by yelling, "I don't care that Adam is a prince! It would actually be better for me if he weren't, but I do want to clarify some things since we're on the topic of knowing Adam. I would daresay that I know Adam better than you do; in fact, I can guarantee it!"

Teela laughed loudly and sarcastically. "Oh, that's good! You actually think you know Adam better than I do? I have been raised with him! We have spent our entire lives together, and you're just jealous! You will never know Adam the way I do."

Ashlyn smirked at her and said, "I don't want to know Adam the way you do; the way I know him is just fine. At least I know the _real_ him."

At that moment, she noticed that Adam lost all expression and got as still as a mouse. "Ashlyn," he suddenly stated softly, "don't."

She could tell he was scared and that he could perhaps get a little angry if she uttered his secret. She had no intention of doing that, but she was going to use what she knew to put Teela in her place. She smiled genuinely at her prince and tried to calm him. "Don't worry, Adam. I'm not going to tell her anything. I just wanted her to know the fallacy of her words." She looked back at Teela with a smug grin and continued, "I know Adam, Captain, and the man that you see every day doesn't even resemble the man that I know."

Teela glared at Ashlyn for a second before turning her attention to Adam. "What is she talking about?" she questioned.

He shrugged and mumbled, "I don't know."

Ashlyn shook her head. She didn't contradict Adam's words, but she did take him by the hand. She ignored Teela once again and said gently, "I know what I walked in on earlier. I saw the depth of emotions you have for this woman, but she doesn't know you the way that I do. She'll never be able to love you as completely as I do. You'll be living a lie. Don't you see that, Adam? Besides, does she really have feelings for you? Just this morning, she was treating you with such contempt and now that she knows I want you, she comes to you acting like a long lost lover. It's sickening, really."

"Ashlyn," Adam hissed.

Teela stood to the side and looked at the both of them. She then turned to face Adam straight on. "What is she talking about, Adam? What does she mean that I don't know you the way she does? Adam, are you…keeping something from me that…you've shared with her?" She looked at him with a very pained expression.

Ashlyn tried to hold in her smile at Teela's reaction. Now, Teela was feeling the pain she had felt when she had walked into the courtyard. Adam pulled his hand away from her, glared at Ashlyn, and grabbed Teela's hand. "No, I haven't told her anything, but…" He shook his head. "She knows something you don't."

Teela gasped and pulled away.

"Please, Teela," he called out before she moved any farther, "listen to me! She discovered it on her own! I didn't tell her!"

He couldn't get anything else out, because she ran away. Within moments, she was inside the palace running to either her father or her bedchambers, he knew. He groaned loudly and then twisted back to Ashlyn hotly. He yelled, "How could you do that? You used my secret as a weapon against her!"

"Adam, I'm sorry. It's just that I got so mad…"

"That you decided to hurt her? Ashlyn, that was cruel! You know as well as I do that I didn't tell you my secret, and you made it seem like I voluntarily gave you the information! Worst, you know how I feel about her! To sabotage our possible relationship like this, do you honestly think I'm going to turn around and open up my arms to you?"

She touched his arm softly and replied, "I know you won't right now, but I was hoping eventually you would see reason and…"

"Reason?" he cried. "Reason? You're one of the main causes for my recent craziness, and you want to talk about reason now?" He shook his head.

"I didn't force you into anything!" Ashlyn cried, suddenly getting a little angry at the prince. "You hung out with me on your own volition. You didn't pull away when I kissed you, so don't act like I'm the only one to blame for your woes with Teela. Those problems have been around long before I have and you know it!"

Adam paused and then nodded his head reluctantly. "You're right, they have been, but you're purposely trying to widen the gap between us!"

"Of course, I am," she exclaimed. "Adam, I want to be with you. I've been falling in love with you since the moment I met you. Teela doesn't deserve you! All she does is belittle and chastise you! How can you love that?"

"It's not your place to question that," he replied. He stared into her eyes and said, "Look, I know you have feelings for me. I would be lying if I said I felt nothing towards you, but I love Teela and if I have even the remotest chance of being with her, I have to try."

"She's going to break your heart! I know she will."

He shrugged. "Then, she'll break my heart."

Ashlyn turned away quickly and looked up at the sky. Then, she faced him once more and asked softly, "When she does, will you let me pick up the pieces?"

He pressed his lips together for a moment before nodding. He pulled her into his arms, looked up towards Teela's bedchambers, and answered, "Yes, but I don't think she will."


	33. Telling the Truth

Against Nature Chapter 33

He felt guilty. It was an emotion he was actually used to, thanks to his secret, but he never felt it quite like this before.

He felt as though he were traipsing on Ashlyn's feelings.

He also felt like he could despise himself for all of his recent actions. If only he had continued to stay true to himself, none of this would have happened. He knew it was wrong when he had gone out with his uncle that first night, but he had done it anyway. He knew it was wrong when he pretended that he didn't notice Ashlyn's interest in him after they had established a friendship, but he had done it anyway. He knew it was wrong when he ran off with her, but he had done it anyway. He knew it was wrong to lead Ashlyn on, but he…

He didn't even know if he had led her on or not. He did have feelings for her, and he did tell Ashlyn about Teela eventually. Ashlyn claimed she knew about Teela from the beginning; therefore, she knew what she was getting into: she knew he simply liked her but was in love with Teela. Ashlyn had told him those words rather than him telling her. She knew.

And, yet, he felt guilty anyway. He felt even more horrible when he realized that Teela was probably hurting just as badly if not more than Ashlyn. Teela didn't know how he truly felt. All she knew right now was that he had a "girlfriend" who knew more about him than she did. She believed he had actually told Ashlyn his secrets, things he had never told her. It was a betrayal of their friendship. They were best friends, so Teela had believed she knew everything there was to know…

But now, she knew she didn't. He couldn't lay that down at Ashlyn's feet completely. The truth was he was hiding things from her, despite the necessity of it. And, of course, he could have dragged Ashlyn to Castle Grayskull to erase her memory. He saw the Sorceress do it to Teela, so he knew she was capable…but it felt so good for _someone_ to know, someone besides Man-at-Arms and Orko…someone new who actually liked him and thought of him as a normal guy. He had been wrong in feeling that way, but he was only human. He wasn't excusing his actions; he merely accepted them.

Without any further words, Adam pulled away from Ashlyn and left her in the courtyard. Without looking back, he went after Teela. He knew it made a statement. He had already told her he was going to pursue this relationship with Teela—he knew Ashlyn was hoping things wouldn't work out, but at least he had been honest about his feelings. He had left nothing out now. Ashlyn knew exactly how he felt about her and Teela.

Now, it was time to do the same with Teela…

Only, he didn't have any idea what he was going to say or what he would have to do to get Teela to listen to him, but he knew he had to try. He would do almost anything.

First, he headed to her bedchambers. He knocked on the door softly, but when no one answered, he turned the handle and stepped inside. It was empty, which could only mean one thing. She had gone to see her father.

Sighing, he closed his eyes. His relationship with Man-at-Arms had also gotten shaky since he had gained the friendship of his uncle and Ashlyn. He had no idea what this new development with Teela would do to their fragile accord. Regardless, he had to face whatever lay ahead. He stepped back into the hall and shut the door firmly. He went to Man-at-Arms' chambers to see if they were perhaps there. When he confirmed that they weren't, he headed towards the workshop. It was the only other place he knew to look.

=)=)=)

King Randor lay in bed with his naked wife in his arms. Despite his best efforts not to, he found himself thinking about his brother…

If there were a silver lining to all the chaos that resulted from King Stefen's presence in Eternos, it was that he had made Randor take the time to actively appreciate what he had. He had a habit of thanking the Ancients for Marlena's presence in his life, as well as his children's, but he never really showed the gratefulness to them like he used to. He was rectifying that mistake now with Marlena.

She and he had made love multiple times that day, and he found himself smiling. He shook his head in bemusement when he realized that Marlena and he had fallen into a routine. The kingdom and its affairs had become all-consuming and they had been forced to simply find mere moments to enjoy one another's company. Today, he made the time to show his wife exactly how he felt about her, like he used to in his younger days. The threat of another man taking her away from him awakened a jealousy in him that was shocking and yet good in his opinion.

He leaned over Marlena now and kissed her lips softly. She immediately hummed in approval and opened her eyes slowly. "Mmm, again?" she asked tiredly with a smile.

He laughed and replied, "Don't tempt me, my dear. I'll always want more when it comes to you."

"I feel the exact same way," she whispered wrapping an arm around his neck. Their lips met again as Randor covered her body with his once more.

=)=)=)

Adam stepped into the workshop quietly and cringed when he heard Teela's melancholy voice.

"I thought we were friends, Father. How could he share something with _her_ that he couldn't share with me?" she cried.

Before Man-at-Arms could answer, he stepped out from behind one of the machines just inside the door and replied, "I didn't share anything with her, Teela."

She jumped and turned around quickly to face him. Man-at-Arms then rested his hand on her shoulder.

Adam didn't know whether his actions were to give her comfort, to send a message to him that Duncan was supporting his daughter, or to keep her there. Regardless, he kept going. "The truth is she learned a secret that I have by chance. I didn't tell her by choice. I'm so sorry that Ashlyn made it seem that way earlier, but she's jealous…"

Teela gritted her teeth and folded her arms across her chest. "What are you doing here?" she snapped. "Shouldn't you be out there with your new best friend?"

Adam sighed and walked up to her with his hands held outward almost beseechingly. "Teela, please, she's not my best friend! You are! It's just that..."

"I don't see how that's possible, Adam. If I were your best friend, you would have been going on your excursions into the city with me! You would have been sharing your secrets with me, regardless of whether _she_ knows or not! Nothing you have done recently shows me that I'm your friend." She shook her head and then cried, "But I don't know why I even bother to care. I shouldn't...I don't."

Adam cringed when he heard her words. He glanced at Man-at-Arms for a moment before deciding to tell her what he had to say despite her father's presence. "I thought my actions in the courtyard would prove how I feel about you, and I daresay your actions at that time prove that you do care."

Teela's resolve faltered and for a brief second, Adam saw a multitude of emotions in her countenance. Her expression went from annoyance to pain to embarrassment and then…hope? Acceptance? He couldn't tell, but it wasn't exactly bad, whatever it was. Then, all expression left her. She turned her head briefly to stare at her father before looking back at him. She pursed her lips tightly for a moment and asked shortly thereafter, "So, what has gotten into you over the last couple of days, then? You've been a stranger and then you come to me and do _that_. I have no idea what to believe or what you want."

Adam looked at Duncan again and wished wholeheartedly that he would make himself scarce, but he seemed determined to stay. "I don't know how to answer that," he admitted. "What's gotten into me? Immaturity, maybe. Annoyance, rebellion, stupidity, idiocy…take your pick. As for what I want you to believe, I want you to believe that Ashlyn and I are not as close as she led you to believe. As for what I want…" He paused and looked at Man-at-Arms again.

Man-at-Arms must have taken the hint finally, because he slipped his hand from her shoulder and said, "I'm going over to my workbench so you two can talk privately. Just call me if you need anything."

At Teela's short nod, he walked away.

Adam took that opportunity to walk up to her. He grabbed her hand and he could see her entire body tense. That was not the reaction he had been hoping for, but he knew he should have expected it. She wasn't as trusting as she was in the courtyard. Ashlyn gave her a reason to mistrust. "Teela, please," he pleaded with her again. "I'm sorry all of this has happened. I've been an idiot, but I promise I'll make it up to you. You are my best friend and…"

Teela snatched her hand away, folded her arms again, and demanded loudly, "JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT, ADAM!" A little more calmly, she then added, "I just want this to be over! I want to go to my room and forget today ever happened!"

Adam tilted his head to the floor momentarily before meeting her gaze once more. "I'm just going to say this, even though I know you're probably going to hit me for it."

She knitted her brow at him.

"I want you, Teela. I've always wanted you. And, before you hit me, let me explain: I want you to be my best friend. I want you to be the person I share all my secrets with. I want you to be my confidant. I want you to be the person I turn to when I'm happy or sad. I want you to be…my everything."

Teela gaped at him. "Adam," she gasped.

Adam, however, could not stop speaking. Now that he had begun telling her his feelings, it was like a dam had been broken and it was all rushing out. "I love you, Teela. I know my actions over the last few days haven't shown you that. I can promise that all of this started innocently enough. I never intended to meet Ashlyn, hang out with her, or anything of the sort. I just…" He sighed. "I got a little taste of being normal and I guess I took it a little too far."

"Normal?" she questioned softly.

He nodded. "Yeah, you know, a normal guy. I got to go out with Uncle Stefen and just be Adam. Then, I got to do the same with Ashlyn, Daniel, and their friends. They forgot that I was a prince, and I haven't had that kind of camaraderie in a really long time."

Teela frowned and asked, "What about me?"

Adam stepped forward so closely that Teela had to tilt her head back to look into her eyes. He reached a hand out and rested it lightly on her bicep. "We are friends, but there is a distance between us ever since you became my bodyguard for so many different reasons on both our parts. I didn't want that, and I definitely don't want it now. I suppose I should have talked to you instead of running off with Ashlyn, but I get a little mad at you sometimes for being so blind…"

"Blind?" she repeated. "What do you mean blind? What have I been blind about?"

"So many things, Teela: my feelings, He-Man, my secret…"

She suddenly gasped. "Is that what this is about?" she asked abruptly.

"What?"

She shook her head and cried, "That is it, isn't it? You…He-Man…"

Adam widened his eyes in shock. Could it be that she figured it out from that tiny bit of information?

Teela closed her eyes and whispered, "Adam, you think I have feelings for He-Man, don't you?"

He didn't expect that question, so his mouth practically hit the floor.

At his reaction, Teela nodded and then asked almost in wonder, "And, Ashlyn was your response to that! You were jealous, so you tried to make me jealous! That's it! It has to be!"

He didn't know how to answer and he knew he had to answer now or she would take his silence as confirmation.

 


	34. Confessions

Against Nature Chapter 34

Adam knew he needed to say something and say it now, but he didn't know quite how to respond. It was true that he was jealous of He-Man, but that, in no way, contributed to his recent actions. Seeing her frown at him the longer he kept silent, he said, "Teela…" He reached out to touch her again, but she walked away and began to pace.

"Adam, He-Man and I are friends," she stated almost as if she were deeply surprised. "Yes, I care about him. Yes, I do hold some feelings for him…but I'm not stupid. He-Man is only ever there when danger occurs. I don't know him as a person. I don't know where he goes when he disappears. I don't know his family or any of his secrets. I don't know his dreams or even his favorite color." She shook her head. "How can I be with someone I don't even know?"

He saw a glimmer of hope in her words.

He stepped in front of her once more and grabbed her hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed it softly. "Teela, I didn't do any of this to make you jealous. I'll admit I have been jealous of He-Man in the past, though. I was jealous because I see the way you look at him. You look at him with such admiration and respect. At those moments, I wish it was me that you saw…" He clammed up when he realized how he worded that phrase. It was a little too close to admitting that he was He-Man, but he knew she didn't catch on. Gulping, he continued, "I want you to respect me, and I want you to…love me." He looked down and mumbled, "But I'm foolish Prince Adam that can't protect himself much less the kingdom."

"Adam," Teela admonished, "do I need to remind you of all the times you have saved my life? I know you're not helpless or foolish. Yes, you need to learn to hold your ground a little better, and yes, you need to take things a little more seriously at times…but Adam, when people truly need you, you're there. It's funny. It's like…you're there all the times He-Man's not."

The prince gasped. "Too close," he thought to himself but ironically, it gave him even more hope. Licking his lips nervously, he asked softly, "So, what are you saying?"

She glanced down at their joined hands and admitted, "I have no idea."

Despite the letdown, he wasn't disheartened. Instead, he replied, "I told you how I feel about you and Ashlyn. I promise everything that I've said this afternoon is the truth." He dipped his head a little to catch her eyes. When their eyes met, she straightened her neck so they could look at each other easily. At that moment, he decided to take a risk. "How do you feel about what I've said?"

Teela pulled her hand away and folded her arms across her chest. Adam knew what it was: it was a protective posture. They were getting into emotional topics and that was always out of Teela's comfort zone. He knew that.

"I don't like Ashlyn," Teela said abruptly. "You may not have intentionally set out to make me jealous…but that's exactly what you did."

Adam bit his lip to stop the smile that wanted to erupt. He could scarcely allow himself to hope that she would say what he wanted her to say.

She held his gaze and a rosy hue rose to her cheeks. "She's not good for you. I know she likes you, but all she's done is bring out that rebellious streak in you and I don't like it."

He pursed his lips and replied, "Ashlyn didn't do that, Teela."

She lifted her hand at him to stop his words. "Just let me say this, Adam. I know you hold a lot of responsibility in your actions, but I know she was a huge influence that only encouraged your misbehavior."

He couldn't deny that she encouraged him, so he remained quiet.

"I didn't like to see you together. It hurt on multiple levels: I didn't like that she seemed to be stealing my best friend." He shook his head to deny her interpretation, but he kept quiet as she continued, "I also didn't like that she was stealing something that I didn't even know I wanted until I thought it was being taken away."

His breath caught in his throat. He was trying desperately not to jump to conclusions, so he continued to stare at her even though he was internally frantic with anticipation for her next words. Unfortunately, she remained quiet. When it became obvious, she was having difficulty saying anything more, he questioned, "What did you think she was taking away?"

Teela looked off to the side and then glanced around to find her father. He was in the distance at his workbench, not paying them any attention. Or, at least, she didn't think he was. Sighing, she met her prince's eyes and whispered, "You. By the Ancients, Adam, I didn't know how much I truly cared about you. I knew you were my best friend. I knew I loved you as such, but I didn't know…" Her voice got softer. Adam had to strain to hear her. "I didn't know I had fallen in love with you somewhere along the way."

Adam's eyes drifted close almost in ecstasy at her words. Finally. He had been waiting to hear her say those words for so long. "Teela," he said, grabbing her hand again and repeating his earlier sentiment, "I love you, too. I have for as long as I can remember."

They stared at each other for what seemed like forever, but eventually, Adam shook himself out of his stupor. Then, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him tightly. When she lifted her head so she could still stare into his eyes, Adam took advantage of the position and kissed her deeply.

It was like a dam had suddenly burst open. Adam moved his lips against hers frantically and ran his fingertips down her side while she brought her hands up and ran her fingers through his hair as they kissed. They kissed until they ran out of air. When they pulled their lips apart, Teela rested her forehead against his and questioned, "No more Ashlyn? No more going out with her?"

Adam chuckled and agreed, "No more Ashlyn. I mean, she is my friend." Teela pulled back and glared at him. He smiled and said, "But, no, I won't go out with her anymore. All I'll want to do is spend my time with you, anyway." He leaned over and kissed her again lightly.

When they pulled apart again a few seconds later, she mumbled, "Good answer."

They both smiled. They were still so close that their noses were touching. Adam began to lean forward so their lips could meet once more but stopped when they heard someone clearing his throat. Pulling away completely, they looked at Man-at-Arms, who stated calmly, "I just wanted to remind you, Adam, that you're kissing my daughter in my presence."

Adam blushed deeply, realizing the high irregularity and inappropriateness of his actions. He seemed to be good at doing those kind of things recently, but when he glanced back at Teela, he knew this was one he wouldn't regret.

Teela must have been thinking along the same lines, because she met his gaze and laughed deeply.


	35. Family Unity

Against Nature Chapter 35

King Randor awoke the next morning to find his arms wrapped tightly around his wife. Her head was resting on the center of his chest and her red locks were spread out in all directions covering him like a living blanket. He smiled softly as he remembered last night: they hadn't been able to keep their hands off of one another. Every look, every stroke, and every movement was made in the attempt to tell the other how much they loved one another.

It was funny that this all came about because of his brother. Of course, that wasn't to say that he was grateful for Stefen's actions. Far from it, actually. He was just glad that he was able to find a bright side to the absolute horrid behavior of his younger sibling…

But, he refused to dwell on those occurrences today. Continuing with his realizations from the day before—that his family could indeed be taken away from him at any time by any unsuspected thing—he decided once again to show his loved ones exactly what they meant to him. Marlena and he had spent some quality time together and now it was time for Adam and him.

He took a deep breath to calm his thoughts and smiled when he realized his action woke his wife. Marlena turned her head slowly and kissed the skin beneath her. She then stretched before turning her head upwards to stare at her husband. "Hmm, good morning," she said with a bright smile.

"Good morning," he echoed.

The queen immediately sat up and turned towards her husband. She looked over at the chronometer and arched her eyebrow. "Aren't we getting started a little later than usual?" she asked, slightly surprised.

He shrugged and said, "Last night I decided I didn't want to rush into our daily routine after everything that happened, so I turned off the alarm. I decided that today we should take things easy for as long as we can. What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea," she replied as she leaned forward and met his lips with a soft chaste kiss. When she pulled back, she giggled and said, "Of course, it's probably going to worry everyone. I have no doubt Micah is probably panicking right outside our door since we haven't met with him yet to get our itinerary."

Randor raised his head upward to look at the ceiling and shook his head. "You're quite right, my dear," he said after a deep sigh. "Sometimes I forget even the simplest decisions like sleeping in affects numerous people."

Marlena laughed a little as she got out of bed and walked over to her closet. "Well, we'll rectify that soon enough. What do you have on the agenda for today since you want to take it easy?"

Randor bit his lip lightly before he shared his idea. "I was thinking I could spend the day with Adam. He and I haven't had a lot of one-on-one time recently and I'm starting to think that maybe that's something I should rectify." He stared intently at his queen to gauge her reaction. Her smile told him she approved, so he continued to explain. "Recently, Adam's been afloat with his actions and his emotions. I'm starting to wonder if I had been a little more involved, maybe things wouldn't have gotten so far off track. After all, Adam was clearly looking for some kind of camaraderie from his uncle that he wasn't finding elsewhere. I'd rather be the one that provides whatever he's looking for."

Marlena slipped back onto the bed after getting her standard green dress and grabbed her husband's hand to squeeze it tightly. He responded by sitting up and bringing her knuckles to his lips for a soft kiss. "What do you think?" he asked softly.

She nodded and responded, "I think I like the idea a lot. Adam has told me himself that he wanted to experience the things you did when he went out with Stefen. I think Adam would appreciate it more and he'd be a lot safer if he got to spend some time with his father and talk of the past instead of hearing about it from others."

Randor immediately slipped out of bed and announced, "Those were my thoughts, too. The only question is where I should take him and what we should do."

"Any ideas?" The queen was genuinely curious.

"I don't know, really. I was debating on a couple of ideas, but then I thought maybe I should do all of them." He walked to his wardrobe and instead of picking out his standard red and blue robes, he reached in the back and pulled out a red tunic and a khaki-colored pair of pants. "I was thinking Adam and I could go fishing at some point. I know he enjoys doing that."

She gave a short nod to show her agreement. "That's a good idea. What else?"

King Randor looked down at the floor and blushed a little. He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. "I was also thinking he and I could go to the local pub. Clearly, Adam wants to experience new things and I was thinking I should show him the legal and proper way to do the things that young men his age find appealing. Of course, it probably won't be as exciting as Madelia now that Stefen has introduced him to the shadier side of Eternia, but…"

Before he could get any more out, Queen Marlena exclaimed, "Are you kidding? Adam's going to love it! He's actually going to get the King of Eternia off the throne and into a bar! He's going to think that's a pretty big deal, so he's going to be thrilled!"

"You think so?" he asked with a hesitant smile as he sat his articles of clothing on the bed, as well.

She nodded. "Of course, that might be a little hypocritical. You drink alcohol in bars and we've punished him for doing that very thing recently. And, now, here's his father encouraging it."

Randor smirked and countered, "There is such a thing as non-alcoholic drinks, Marlena. Adam is going to know them well by the time this trip is over." He laughed in amusement but then paused to ask, "You don't mind, do you? Here I am leaving my wife and queen alone for the day. Would you rather go with us? I can leave Man-at-Arms in charge and…"

"Don't you dare!" Marlena snapped, placing her hands on her hips. "You've come up with a fantastic idea to reconnect with your son! I'm not intruding, nor am I going to let the kingdom do so! I've got things covered today!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! But that does leave the question of how you're going to prevent the rest of Eternia from intruding. It's not every day the King of Eternia graces the public with his presence."

The king gestured to the clothes that he had set on the bed and answered, "Normal attire today, a cloak on the streets, and no crown. I hope that will suffice. I'm going to have some out-of-uniform guards stationed where we go, as well, just in case. Of course, I need to tell Adam to dress differently today, as well. It will almost defeat the purpose if everyone recognizes him. They'll certainly start paying attention to me if they recognized him and see that we're together."

Without a reply, Marlena walked around the bed to stand in front of her husband and hugged him tightly. "Thank you!" she said enthusiastically.

"Whatever for?" he asked.

She flashed him a thousand-watt smile that looked so much like Adam's when he was truly happy. "For just being _you_ today," she whispered before slipping a hand to his neck and pulling his lips to hers.

=)=)=)

Adam and Jesse walked down the corridor towards the dining room. Adam had taken a little longer than usual to get ready, because he had spent most of his morning thinking about Teela…

He couldn't believe it: they were an item. They hadn't really said so officially, but she told him that she loved him and that she wanted him to stay away from Ashlyn. If that wasn't a declaration that she wanted to be with him, he didn't know what was.

He smiled brightly at the memory. He couldn't believe that out of all the chaos that had happened recently, something good had actually come out of it. Before his mind could contemplate the phenomenon a little more, he heard his bodyguard speak to him.

"So, what has you in such a good mood this morning, Your Highness?" Jesse asked curiously.

Adam noticed at that moment that not only had he been smiling, he had a little bounce in his stride, as well. It had been such a long time since he had felt this good. His smile then turned into a wide grin as he replied, "I'm just happy. Things are finally looking up."

Jesse nodded and remarked, "That's good. Hopefully, this means you'll have a better day than yesterday." He bobbed his head back and forth several times as if he were contemplating something. Then, he whispered, "Who's responsible? Teela or Ashlyn? I can only assume the former since I left you were her last night."

Adam wasn't entirely sure what Jesse was asking. After all, one could take a sexual connotation to his words, so he didn't want to give any kind of affirmative proclamations. So, instead of sharing his joy, he replied, "Teela and I simply talked last night. I'm in a good mood, because things are finally settling down. I'm not confined to my bedchambers, Teela's speaking to me again, and it's a beautiful day. What's there to not be happy about?"

Jesse simply smiled and answered, "Nothing at all, Prince Adam. Nothing at all."

Within moments, Adam and Jesse entered the dining room. The first person Adam's eyes sought for was Teela. As usual, she was seated next to her father, so he only saw the back of her head. He then let his gaze drift to where his parents usually sat. When he saw that the seats were empty, he rushed forward. "Where's my parents, Duncan?" he asked abruptly as he reached the table.

Duncan smiled a little and replied playfully, "And, good morning to you, too, Prince Adam." Without waiting for a reply, he continued seriously, "I sent a guard to ask after your parents not too long ago. They decided to sleep in, but they'll be here shortly."

Adam nodded and walked around the table to sit in his usual seat. Jesse sat next to Teela since Orko floated above the chair beside the prince.

Now that he was no longer concerned about his parents, Adam turned his attention back to the redheaded beauty in front of him. He smiled and said, "Good morning, Teela. How are you?"

Teela's face was suddenly as red as her hair and Adam grinned happily. "I'm good," she replied. "How are you?"

"I'm good, too," Adam said immediately.

"That's good."

That's when Adam noticed that Man-at-Arms was looking back and forth between him and Teela hurriedly. The elder then shook his head and muttered, "You would think they hadn't ever socialized with each other before…Hmm, kids." Then he got a little louder and continued teasingly, "Just because you two are courting now doesn't mean you've suddenly lost your brains. Repeating each other won't get you anywhere, trust me."

Adam laughed when he realized Man-at-Arms was right. They had been repeating each other, but he couldn't help but be a little hesitant and nervous this morning. Surely, her father, of all people could understand why. This was all so new! But before he could say anything in response, though, they heard a voice from the doorway:

"Courting? Who's courting? Jesse and Teela? Or, Adam and Teela?"

Everyone turned to see King Randor and Queen Marlena walk into the room. Adam immediately gasped not only because of his father's question, he was also surprised because his father looked nothing like himself. He was dressed in common clothes with no crown in sight; whereas, his mother looked as she usually did. Something was definitely going on…

"Well?" Randor asked as he reached the head of the table and stared at everyone's faces. Adam felt his face flush deeply and he noticed Teela's had grown even brighter.


	36. Getting Ready

Against Nature Chapter 36

As far as embarrassing situations went, this wasn't the worst encounter Prince Adam had ever faced, but he did believe it was one of the most nerve-wrecking. What would his father's reaction be when he answered? He realized he had no idea! Oh, he knew King Randor liked Teela well enough. After all, she was the Captain of the Guard _and_ the king had chosen her to be his son's personal bodyguard. He wouldn't have done that if he had any qualms about Teela's character. Still, that didn't mean he thought she was a good match for his son romantically...

It was well known throughout the planet and all the kingdoms that princes were not accustomed to courting or marrying their bodyguards. It was practically unheard of. The thought that comforted him and gave him some hope that their relationship would be accepted was the fact that kings were not accustomed to marrying aliens from faraway planets, either, and yet his father had done it.

Meeting the king's eyes steadily, he swallowed the lump in throat and answered, "I'm courting Teela, Father."

The immediate reaction was one that he had expected. There was a moment of surprise, but then Randor's expression transformed into one that shocked the prince: he looked almost…pleased?

"Well now, Adam, this is good news."

As soon as those words left the king's mouth, Adam's jaw dropped open. "It is?" he question after a few seconds of silence.

The king laughed a little as he finished walking to the table and pulled out a chair for Marlena. "Of course," he answered. "I mean, you do agree, right?"

Adam turned his eyes to Teela who was staring at him. "YES!" he said immediately. "I just…didn't think you would be so…okay with the news."

"And, why wouldn't I be?" Randor said, sitting down. "Teela is the daughter of one of my closest friends, and I dare say she is a better choice than some other girls I've seen around here recently."

Those were all the words the king needed to say for Adam to understand his father's reaction completely. From the very start, King Randor had made his opinion of Ashlyn well known, and evidently, his father was happy that particular relationship seemed to be a thing of the past.

His gut reaction was to defend Ashlyn, but he quickly realized that would just start an argument that there was no point in having. He had already told Teela that Ashlyn was a thing of the past, so to speak. Of course, he knew he would have to talk with Ashlyn about everything and it wouldn't be pleasant, but at least he knew from their last discussion that she would be expecting it. That didn't mean she would like it, though...

Regardless, he smiled at his father and muttered, "I'm glad you approve."

Before he could say anything else, though, his father grinned at Teela and said, "Well, I hope you don't mind that I borrow your boyfriend today."

Teela's immediate response was to blush.

As for Adam, he almost sputtered the juice he was drinking across the table. He could tell that his father was trying to tease them, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember anything they were supposed to do together that day. Before he could question him, Teela responded, "Of course not, Your Majesty. Our...relationship won't change much, I assure you."

Adam wanted to tease her himself now by saying that he hoped that wasn't true and then wiggling his eyebrows at her, but his father sidetracked him by stating, "That's good to hear. Adam, I was hoping you would consent on accompanying me into Eternos today. Obviously, I'm going in disguise, so you'll have to do the same, so we won't be recognized. I looked over the day's itinerary this morning and didn't see anything that couldn't be pushed back."

Surprisingly, his father seemed a little nervous suggesting this, so Adam was anxious to discover what they would be doing together. "Sure, Father," he said as enthusiastically as he could muster. "Sounds fun."

=)=)=)

Adam stood in front of his mirror and stared at the white tunic and beige pants he had on. He looked nothing like his usual self. The tunic was sleeveless and while the neckline dipped down as much as his ordinary tunic, he didn't wear anything underneath: it was a pullover tunic and not one had to close with a belt. Also, he had actual pants on instead of tights. The ensemble was completed with a pair of dark brown boots on his feet and a matching hat on his head.

He wasn't sure if he looked ridiculous or not, but he wanted to give himself as much of a disguise as possible since he was doing this for his father.

He stepped into the hall and immediately heard a laugh that he recognized. He glanced over to the right to see Teela leaning against her doorframe with her arms folded across her chest. Self-consciously, Adam looked down at himself before holding his hands out with a shrug. "Is it horrible?" he asked.

Teela shook her head in amusement as she straightened and walked towards her prince slowly. "No, it isn't horrible. I'm just not used to seeing you dressed so…plain."

He scratched the back of his head nervously, which left a couple of strands kinked as he brought his arm back to his side. "I used to dress 'plain' all the time," he countered.

"When you were a child, yes," she agreed, "but in your adulthood, you sure did conform to the courtier look."

Adam wasn't sure what to make out of Teela's comments. Was she merely making observations? Was she teasing him? Was she complaining about his normal attire or this one? He didn't know. "Well, that's what I am," he mumbled, looking down at the ground. He couldn't believe he was this self-conscious right now. Truth be told, if he had never become He-Man, _this_ —minus the hat—would be something very similar to what he would have chosen for himself. Growing up as a child, he had never been into fashion and showing off, but in his desire to separate himself from He-Man, he knew he had to make that change.

Teela must have heard the anxiousness or uncertainty in his tone, because she quickly closed the distance between them and placed her index finger under his chin. "Hey," she stated firmly, "I'm only teasing. You look fine in this and what you wear every day."

Adam smiled then and replied, "I just don't want to mess this up. I have a feeling Father has something planned, so I don't want to be recognized, but I don't want to go too far either. I don't want to be so 'mysterious' that I draw attention."

Teela looked him up and down and assured him, "You look fine. I would tell you, but I must admit you might draw attention no matter what you wear."

When he raised a quizzical brow, she smiled and said, "Well, you are a muscular blond-haired man with blue eyes. Those characteristics tend to stand out in a crowd and it's all wrapped up in one nice large package in you."

Adam felt a heat rise to his cheeks and then throughout the rest of his body. This was the first time Teela had spoken so forthrightly about his looks, and he could tell she approved. It made him feel shy and incredibly…he wouldn't go there right now. He was about to go out with his father, so his mind couldn't be focused _there_ or he'd make a fool of himself.

Taking a deep breath, he looked back at Cringer who had followed him out of his room. "I'm afraid you have to stay here, Old Friend. You're too noticeable, sorry."

Cringer smiled and replied, "That's okay, Adam."

Undoubtedly, the feline was thinking he would get out of turning into Battlecat if any unfortunate circumstances arose. What he probably didn't realize was that being in the presence of his father made his running off to transform all the more unlikely. Of course, he would find a way if he had to.

Taking a sudden deep breath, Adam mentally forced himself to calm down. Here he was, thinking about all the things that could possibly go wrong. What he actually wanted to feel was a little excitement: his father and he hadn't gone out into the city one-on-one since he was a boy, so he was looking forward to it despite not knowing what was on the agenda. Regardless of what they did, he knew it would be more relaxing than the things he had done with King Stefen and Ashlyn. He knew he wouldn't have to worry about upholding a model decorum for royalty, because his father would never put them in a situation where that standard would be trying. Perhaps he could enjoy a relaxing evening as himself with his father…That desire almost seemed too much to wish for, but he was going to try it nonetheless.

Just as he took a step in the direction of the throne room, Teela stepped in front of him and slipped her arms around his waist. "I wish I could go with you today."

Adam sighed as he slipped his arms around her, as well. Jesse would be accompanying them at a close distance whereas several guards, who would be casually dressed, would spread themselves throughout the city. His father had undoubtedly already made plans, so they knew where to go.

"I wish you could, too," he mumbled before kissing the top of her head, "but I'll take you out soon enough."

Teela pulled back and narrowed her eyes slightly. "You know that's not what I meant."

"I know," he agreed but didn't apologize.

They squeezed each other one last time and then pulled away from one another. Adam bowed before her as he brought her hand to his lips to kiss it gently. He then proceeded to the throne room while Teela blushed profusely before making her way outside.

=)=)=)


End file.
